Art

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