Art

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