Art

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