Art

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