Datei:Sonnenrabe Meru.jpg

Weltenberg Meru mit Sonnenrabe und Mondhase Seidentapesterie, Mandala (farbige Seide), Detail. Yuan Dynastie, 14. Jh.; China; 83,8 x 83,8 cm
Bild © Metropolitan Museum. (Letzter Zugriff: 2011/12/12)This elaborate tapestry-woven mandala, or cosmic diagram, illustrates Indian imagery introduced into China in conjunction with the advent of Esoteric Buddhism. At the center is the mythological Mount Meru, represented as an inverted pyramid topped by a lotus, a Buddhist symbol of purity. Traditional Chinese symbols for the sun (three-legged bird) and moon (rabbit) appear at the mountain’s base. The landscape vignettes at the cardinal directions represent the four continents of Indian mythology but follow the conventions of Chinese-style “blue-and-green” landscapes. The dense floral border derives from imagery of central Tibet, particularly from monasteries with ties to the court of the Yuan dynasty.