Art

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