Art

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

Buddha Shakyamuni

This small figure of the Buddha comes from the Swat Valley, at the western end of the Himalayas in present-day Pakistan. From the 4th to the 7th century, life in the valley was profoundly shaped by Buddhism. Chinese travellers at the time reported over one thousand monasteries and temples. 

Stylistically, Swat figures clearly show the influence of Gandharan art, such as the naturalistic modelling of the body and the realistic folds of the drapery. Coppered lips and eyes inset with silver are typical features of art from the Swat Valley.