back to overview
 
303 photos
Limestone carving of the enlightenment of the Buddha, 1st BCE. A group of men worship at the spot; at the base of the empty throne are the Buddha's footprints with the "Wheel of the Law" set in motion by Buddha's first sermon. A pair of kimranas (semi divine beings) hover above the bodhi-tree. OA 1880.7-9.79
#03060124

Limestone carving of the enlightenment of the Buddha, 1st BCE. A group of men w...

Pillar capital, Kushan dynasty, 1st CE. Covered with Prakrit inscriptions in the Kharoshthi script, the form of writing of acient north-western India. Between the two lions is a square crowning relief bearing auspicious symbols like the triratna,which stands for the veneration of the Buddha, his monastic order and dharma, the code of religious conduct that the Buddha professed. OA 1889.3-14.1
#03060126

Pillar capital, Kushan dynasty, 1st CE. Covered with Prakrit inscriptions in the...

The birth of Prince Siddhartha, from the Great Stupa at Amaravatu, India, 2nd century. Four scenes relating to the birth of the Buddha. Top right:Queen Maya, the Buddha's mother, is with her attendant and the Lokapalas, guardians of the four directions. Top left: atsrologers and seers at the court of King Shuddhodhana. Bottom right: Maya holds on to the Shala-tree and gives birth to the Buddha. OA 1880.7-9.44
#03060127

The birth of Prince Siddhartha, from the Great Stupa at Amaravatu, India, 2nd ce...

Limestone relief panel depicting the departure of Prince Siddharta; from the dome of the Great Stupa, 2nd CE. He starts on a spiritual quest that leads him to Buddhahood. His presence is symbolically referred to by the parasol held over his horse, Kanthaka. OA 1880.7-9.51
#03060128

Limestone relief panel depicting the departure of Prince Siddharta; from the dom...

Limestone roundel depicting the Mandhata jataka, a Buddhist parable. Mandakha, the king of the Gods, sits on a large throne, surrounded by women engaged in attending to the men in music and dance.Mandhata grew increasinlgy dissatisfied with all life's and heaven's pleasures and longed for a return to the earth, where he rapidly aged and died. The moral being that all desire leads to suffering and only the removal of all desire can lead to the nothingness of Nirvana. OA 1880.7-9.12
#03060129

Limestone roundel depicting the Mandhata jataka, a Buddhist parable. Mandakha, t...

Stone head of Buddha, Gupta, India, 5th century.
#03060130

Stone head of Buddha, Gupta, India, 5th century.

Relief showing a scene from a sutra. From Borobudur, Java, 750-850 CE.
#03060134

Relief showing a scene from a sutra. From Borobudur, Java, 750-850 CE.

Ivory bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) in a wooden shrine, Kashmir, 8th century. Traces of pigment show that it was oiginally brightly painted. Ivory is an organic material, therefore very few early examples survive. however, a few pieces from Kashmir survived in monasteries in the higher reaches of the Himalayas. OA 1968.5-21.1
#03060135

Ivory bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) in a wooden shrine, Kashmir, 8th century. Tra...

Bronze figure of Maitreya, excavated near the Helmand river, Afghanistan, 10th CE. It shows the bodhisattva Maitreya seated in the lotus position on a throne. He has a bare torso and wears a flowing, diaphanous garment. Ths figure shows affinity with the contemporary style of imagery from Kashmir. OA 1957.2-1.3
#03060138

Bronze figure of Maitreya, excavated near the Helmand river, Afghanistan, 10th C...

Earthenware tile with a monster mask (kwimyun) design, from Korea, Unified Silla dynasty, 7th-9th CE. The concept of using tiles decorated with monster masks to ward off evil spirits originated from China. The tiles were placed in each of the four cardinal directions on top of the roof of royal buildings and Buddhist temples. OA 1992.6-15.24
#03060147

Earthenware tile with a monster mask (kwimyun) design, from Korea, Unified Sill...

Avalokiteshvara found in Dunhuang Caves, China; 910 CE. The central figure of Avalokiteshvara has his usual attribute of Buddha Amitabha on his head-dress. He stands upon a floating lotus, holds a willow spray in his left hand and a flask in his right. An inscription on the back of the painting identifies the shaven-headed figure as the Very Reverend nun Yanhui, the young man on the right is the probationary chamberlain Zhang Youcheng. OA 1919.1-1.014
#03060151

Avalokiteshvara found in Dunhuang Caves, China; 910 CE. The central figure of A...

Shakyamuni preaching the Lotus Sutra on the Vulture Peak, silk embroidery on hemp cloth from Cave 17, Dunhuang, China. He is accompanied by two disciples and the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamapapta. This is one of the largest known examples of Chinese embroidery. OA Ch.00260
#03060152

Shakyamuni preaching the Lotus Sutra on the Vulture Peak, silk embroidery on hem...