Art

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