Art

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