Art

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