Art

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