Samantabhadra riding on an elephant
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Samantabhadra riding on an elephant” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who symbolises the infinite wisdom of the Buddha, sits upon an elephant. The painting originally formed part of a triptych, with Sakyamuni Buddha in the centre, Manjusri (bodhisattva of universal wisdom) seated on a lion on the left, and Samantabhadra on the right. Because at some point in its life the scroll has been cut down, the position of Samantabhadra now appears off-centre, and his halo is incomplete. Executed in water-based colours and gold on silk, the painting is now mounted on paper, and attached to narrow silk border.
Read on
Samantabhadra wears the princely robes of a bodhisattva and a highly ornamented crown bearing a flaming pearl, his attribute. He holds a gilded lotus stem topped with a blue lotus blossom. A platform on the elephant's head supports three figures representing three personifications of the Buddha, while a group of celestial musicians sits on one of the elephant's six tusks. A saddle cloth decorated with clouds and flowers covers the elephant's back, numerous jewels and pendants adorn his harness and trappings, and his feet rest on lotus pedestals.
A devotional image of great power, this painting of Samantabhadra is a remarkable survival from mediaeval Korea or China.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- FE.51:1-1976
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
