When: closing November 12, 2018
Today's the last day to see this one-room exhibit on Buddhist art in Japan - it's a lovely (if cold) day here in the DMV, so what better way to spend it than by visiting the Freer?
The historical Buddha was born in the 5th century BCE. I don't want to boil Buddhism down to one statement, but what was emphasized in the exhibit was the idea that a middle path between excessive consumption and total austerity is what leads to enlightenment. There's clearly a political analogy to be made here, but I'll leave that to someone else to broadcast.
Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth century, and Japanese religious art is what is on offer in this show. The fearsome fellow pictured here is the Lord of Burning Desire, and the Freer has helpfully tagged him with a red plaque, indicating that he's one of the "best" items in the room. The carving and the color of the lotus he's sitting on are first rate.
There's also a discussion of what's inside the statuary. Many of the pieces are hollow, and sometimes, sacred texts were placed inside, like a sort of reliquary. I was reminded of the National Gallery's Degas dancer exhibit, which showed she had paint brushes and other items inside. Not that I'm comparing a paint brush to a sacred text! Just that they were both inside statutes.
Verdict: Worth a visit - you know the Freer: beautiful things, beautifully arranged.
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