Art

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