King Gao's Avalokitesvara Sutra
Ming dynasty (1368-1644), dedication dated 1590
Artist unknown
China
King Gao’s Avalokiteśvara Sutra is an indigenous Chinese scripture from the Liang dynasty (502–57). It is said that this scripture comes from a prisoner who was spared from execution by chanting a sutra that had been transmitted to him in a dream. King Gao learned of this miraculous event, pardoned the prisoner, and ordered the sutra to be copied and spread throughout the world. Empress Dowager Cisheng (1545–1614) of the Ming dynasty commissioned this rare edition with a richly illustrated story in 1590.
Woodblock-printed book; ink on paper