Art

  • The Ascetic Milarepa
  • Baisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha
  • The Buddha Invokes the Earth Goddess as his Witness
  • Buddhist Monastic Rules from the Pali Canon
  • Buddha Shakyamuni and the Earth-Touching Gesture
  • Rectangular Coin
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Votive Stela Depicting Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The Prophecy of the Buddha Dipankara
  • Dharani Sutra of the Heart of the Perfection of Insight
  • Padmasambhava
  • Stupa
  • Buddhist Votive Tablet
  • Standing Bodhisattva
  • Empress Jito, from the series “Parody of the Ogura Version of ‘One Hundred Poets, One Hundred Poems’ ”
  • Buddha Shakyamuni From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Taima Mandala, the Buddha Amida’s Paradise
  • Seated Bodhisattva
  • Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Tames the Wild Elephant Nalagiri
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Invokes the Earth Goddess as his Witness
  • Buddha Maitreya
  • Bodhidharma
  • Vijaya Stupa
  • Large Votive Stupa
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Sakya Pandita (1182–1252)
  • The Four Pleasures of Nan Shenglu (detail)
  • Head of a Monk
  • Green Tara (Shyama Tara)
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Shyamatara, Green Tara
  • Votive Stela with Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The Death of the Buddha
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Travel Shrine
  • The Buddha Begins Teaching
  • Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Head of the Buddha
  • Standing Buddha
  • Leaving for Homelessness
  • Ceremonial Dagger Featuring the God of Death
  • Buddhist Votive Tablet
  • Head of a Bodhisattva
  • Female Monkey with Her Young
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as the Patron of fishermen
  • Stupa
  • Portrait of the Abbot Ennin
  • Buddhist Votive Stela of the Yan Family
  • Guhyamanjuvajra
  • Pancha Raksha Manuscript
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating Under the Bodhi Tree
  • The Arhats Panthaka, Gopaka, Nagasena, and Abheda From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Gazelle
  • Bodhidharma Crosses the Yangtze River on a Reed
  • The Arhats Vanavasin, Angaja, Kalika, and Ajita From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
  • Standing Buddha Amida
  • Mahasiddha Virupa
  • The Bodhisattva of Compassion as the Bringer of Sons
  • Praying Priest
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Relief of the Five Transcendent Buddhas
  • Vajradhara, the Primordial Buddha
  • Yakshi, Nymph with Lotus Flowers, fragment of a baluster
  • Buddhist Pocket-sized Prayer Altar
  • Budai
  • Jambhala, the God of Wealth
  • Padmasambhava with his 25 Tibetan Pupils From a series of 7 thangkas
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Sheltered by the Serpent-King
  • Printing Block for a Prayer from the Text “Embodiment of the Three Jewels” by Jatson Nyingpo (1585–1656)
  • The Prophecy of the Wise Asita
  • Hotei, One of the Gods of Good Fortune, with Child
  • Jizo Bosatsu, Bodhisattva in the Guise of a Monk
  • Plaque Showing the Buddha Teaching
  • Amida Nyorai, Buddha of the Western Paradise
  • Head of a Buddha
  • Buddha Dipankara, the Buddha of the Past
  • Buddha Shakyamuni at the Moment of his Awakening
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Buddha Shakyamuni as a Newborn Infant
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Padmasambhava with his 25 Tibetan Pupils From a series of 7 thangkas
  • Mara’s Daughters Tempt the Buddha
  • Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Head of the Buddha
  • Great Stupa at Sanchi
  • Seated Bodhisattva
  • Prince Siddhartha’s Wedding
  • Standing Tara
  • Monumental Head of a Bodhisattva
  • Bust of a Luohan
  • The Layman Huashang and Two Lokapalas From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Shaka Nyorai, the Historical Buddha
  • Machig Labdrön
  • Dharmatala and two lokapalas From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Shyamatara, Green Tara
  • Head of a Lokeshvara
  • Standing Monk with Hands Folded
  • Buddha Shakyamuni 
  • Excerpt from the Lotus Sutra
  • State Oracle Garment
  • Buddha Shakyamuni with Scenes from his Life
  • The Transcendent Buddha Akshobhya
  • Hotei
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Dharmapala Yama
  • Shakyamuni Enters Nirvana
  • The Three Buddhas Dipankara, Shakyamuni, and Maitreya
  • Buddha Vairocana
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The Bodhisattva of Compassion Sitting in Meditation
  • The Descent of Buddha Amida
  • Zen Priest in a Golden Wrap
  • Monastic Rules for Monks
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Attains Awakening Under the Bodhi Tree
  • Ushnishavijaya
  • Buddhist Monk
  • The Descent of Buddha Amida
  • Portrait of the Zen Priest Gemmon Doyu
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Gendün Gyatso, the 2nd Dalai Lama (1476–1542)
  • Vase with Lotus Vines and the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism
  • Sitatara, White Tara
  • The Arhats Bakula, Rahula, Cudapanthaka, and Pindola From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • The 4th Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso (1589–1617)
  • The Arhats Kanakavasta, Vajriputra, Kanaka Bharadvaja, and Bhadra From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Dakini Vasya-Vajravarahi
  • Half-length Portrait of the Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma
  • Six Persimmons
  • The Four Excursions
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion in the Posture of Royal Ease
  • Thangka of the Twenty-One Taras
  • The Buddha’s Parinirvana
  • Stela Showing Scenes from the Life of the Buddha
Head of a Lokeshvara

Head of a Lokeshvara

This over 800-year old figure is from Cambodia. By the third century, Buddhism had already spread from northern India across entire South-east Asia – including Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. 

Audio Description

https://rietberg.fluxguide.com/fluxguide/Icon Audiodeskription

Is this the face of a human or a divine being?

https://rietberg.fluxguide.com/fluxguide/Head of a Lokeshvara

You’re at the Museum Rietberg, standing before this work of art?

Faces of the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara, Bayon temple complex, Cambodia

https://rietberg.fluxguide.com/fluxguide/Faces of the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara, Bayon temple complex, Cambodia

The Bayon temple complex in Cambodia was built by King Jayavarman VII. Originally it featured more than fifty towers, which were adorned with more than 200 faces of the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara. These faces, too, were regarded as portraits of the ruler.