Art

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