Art

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

Head of the Buddha

This large, impressive head comes from the Buddhist cave temples at the “Mountain of Echoing Halls” in northern China. Around the year 550, seeking to perform meritorious deeds, Qi-dynasty rulers had a number of caves hewn out of limestone cliffs and then lavishly decorated with sculptures. The Southern Cave contained statues of three large Buddhas and their attendants. In their original location, the seated figures gazed down on devotees from a height of well over 3 metres.