Bodhisattva Sculptures

Ancient sculptures of bodhisattvas in various poses highlight exquisite craftsmanship, depicting spiritual figures from different cultural heritages.

Pre-Colombian head of a statue of a priest, from Ecuador. Dated 500 AD

Head of a bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara early 6th century China. Head of a bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara. China. early 6th century. Limestone. Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). Sculpture

. A bodhisattva is one who has almost attained the state of enlightenment, but chooses to remain in the human world to help others on their journey to this state. Avalokiteshvara is recognizable from his hairstyle, a tower of curls in which a figure of the BuddhaAmitabha is meditating. The suggestion of movement in the leg and the simple lower garment are characteristic features of representations of Avalokiteshvara from northeast Thailand.

Pre-Colombian head of a statue of a priest, from Ecuador. Dated 500 AD

Pre-Colombian head of a statue of a priest, from Ecuador. Dated 500 AD

Egyptian wooden statue of a bearer of offerings. Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC).

Thoth Amulet 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period Amulets often represent deities in order to invoke their protection and specific powers. Such amulets were used by the living and placed on mummies as well. The amulet here depicts the god Thoth as a man with an ibis-head. Thoth was the god of knowledge and writing and he was also thought to have healing powers. The popularity of Thoth amulets as mummy amulets probably relates to his role as recorder of the final judgment, in which it was determined if the deceased had lived a virtuous life.. Thoth Amulet 552689

. Bodhisattva, standing on a pedestal, arms and feet are missing.

Guardian Figure(Hampatong)

Bhringi. The philosopher (Rishi) Bhringi with three legs; The third has been removed.

Royal Ancestor Figure, Cameroon, Bamileke African Art Wood

Ancestor Figure(Bulul)

Smiting god figure ca. 1500 B.C. Canaanite. Smiting god figure 322596

Fine Shira-Punu Mask, Asian Art, England, London, Christie's Images

woman beckon fetish isolated, in thai culture thay belief that it is a lucky for trade

Seated Buddha with Legs Pendant 7th century Vietnam or Cambodia. Seated Buddha with Legs Pendant. Vietnam or Cambodia. 7th century. Stone. Sculpture

Ancestor Figure(Korwar)

Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl) 15th-early 16th century Aztec Among the many female deities worshipped by the Aztecs, those responsible for agricultural fertility held a prominent place. This sculpture depicts Chicomecoátl (seven serpents), a goddess of sustenance, especially of edible plants and corn. She is shown standing on bare feet wearing a long skirt held in place with a belt, and holding in her right hand two maize ears. Her head and most of her body are covered by a towering quadrangular headdress adorned with twisted elements across the front and rosettes at the corners. Taller than the figure itself, the headdress is known as amacalli ("paper house"); it is the most typical attribute of the corn goddess. During Aztec religious rituals, actual "paper house" headdresses were elaborate constructions made of brightly colored stiff bark paper. They were worn by corn goddess impersonators.The sculpture is carved from a narrow stone slab in a flat, angular style. The only projecting, ro

Kneeling Female Figure 15th Century. Aztec

mounted warrior. Nigerian, 19th century

Mayan God of Rain worshiped by the Mayans along the Gulf of Mexico 300-900 AD. Baked clay

Harpokrates in double crown. Dimensions: H. 11.9 cm (4 11/16 in.); W. 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.); D. 5.9 cm (2 5/16 in.). Date: 664-30 B.C..The figure represents a child god in a striding/standing position, wearing the double crown, which alludes to his royal status. The child god is distinguished from adult gods by a range of iconographic clues: his nudity, the finger raised to the mouth (a child-like gesture), and the sidelock on the right side of his head. He wears an amulet on his chest, another attribute common to child gods but not adult gods.Child gods grew in popularity and cult from the Third Intermediate Period onwards, rivaling even the most powerful and ancient gods, especially as temple offerings. Without an inscription, it can be very difficult to securely distinguish and identify particular child gods, but here the double crown identifies the god as Harpokrates (Horus the Child), who was the son of Osiris and Isis. This royal crown symbolizes the union of Lower and Upper Egypt

Head of a Bodhisattva, Probably Avalokitésvara (Guanyin), the Bodhisattva of Mercy. China, Chinese, Middle Ming dynasty, about 1450-1550. Sculpture. Wood, hemp, and wire armature with modeled, carved, and painted clay and glass eyes

Magic stele portraying infant Horus standing on crocodiles and holding animals in his hands and surrounded by spell books. It was used in the practice of magic to defend oneself against dangerous animals

Gratz -like noise with neck protection - myochin Munemitsu, 18th century grimace -like no -mask with neck protection - Myochin Munemitsu, 18th century

A-ndëf Baga people late 19th century The a-ndëf (also te-ndëf) is a caryatid drum found in the music-making traditions of the Baga, an ethnic group in western Guinea. It is associated with a-tëkän, the Baga institution for female solidarity, and is played at various events of importance to women. The form of the instrument-specifically, the depiction of a female figure supporting a globular object on her head-is common to Baga drums. It is also evocative of Baga womens roles in society. Not only do women carry large clay water vessels or baskets for food, notably rice, on their heads, “[women are the bearers of Baga society in every sense of the world,” art historian Frederick Lamp explains (1996: 124). According to Lamp, the a-tëkän, whose membership is typically exclusive to mothers, is one of the most enduring ritual institutions of the Baga (ibid: 122). A-tëkän performances, which consist of a group of drummers and a circle of dancers, take place at weddings or funerals of import

Arhat 13th-14th century Korea The Sanskrit term arhat (Korean: nahan; Chinese: lohan) refers to enlightened beings in the Buddhist tradition. Celadon statuettes of Buddhist figures have been found in Gaeseong, the capital of the Goryeo dynasty, and at ancient temple sites in southwestern Korea.. Arhat 57511

Seated Female Deity 15th-early 16th century Aztec. Seated Female Deity 307652

Crowned Head of a Bodhisattva 1666-1700 Thailand. Stucco .

Head of a deity with four faces. This head, which once had four faces, comes from the large Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm at Angkor. It perhaps represents Prajnaparamita, the Buddhist goddess of wisdom, rather than a male deity or bodhisattva. This is suggested by the female features on the three surviving faces.

Buddha Head - Bronze, (circa 1368-1644) Ming dynasty. This head is all that remains of a statue, presumably from a temple. Hollow inside, it is made of bronze cast in section moulds. The bronze surface was covered with a layer of kaolin then painted with layers of linen-fibre paper.

Male Deity 8th century India (Jammu & Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir). Male Deity 38398

Sukia, Shaman inhaling psychotropic substances, from Costa Rica. Dated 10th Century

Face of the Mayan Sun God carved in a green stone, 600-900 AD Central American

Figurine of a weaver (ceramic) Mayan funerary figure from Jaina, Campeche, Mexico. 600-900AD

Brahma first quarter of the 10th century Cambodia This representation of Brahma, the Brahmanical god of creation and ancestor of all universes, is understood to be omnipresent. Hence he is depicted with four faces and four arms, evoking his universality. Brahmas skirt-cloth (sampot) is in the Bakheng style, widely favored in the early tenth century and named after sculptures associated with the Bakheng temple. It is knee length, is drawn up between the legs and secured at the back, and has distinctive pleated “double-anchor,” or “fishtail,” pendants in front. The piled-up dreadlock hair (jatamukuta) is multifaceted to reflect the four faces it serves, and is secured with a string of pearls; each face of Brahma wears a large diadem, and a speckled treatment of the lower face indicates that he is bearded. This sculpture would have occupied a subsidiary shrine at a temple complex dedicated in all likelihood to Shiva. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause

Seated virgin with child, 12th century, carved and polychrome wood, from the parish church of Artieda, Diocesan Museum of Jaca, Huesca, Spain.

Melanesian male and female ancestor figures. Artist: Unknown

Ancient Egyptian funeral statue of Tutenkhamen, 18th Dynasty

Shivalinga shrine, brass, cast in three sections, Maharashtra, 1700-1800. The enshrined linga, bearing Shivas face is protected by a cobra with flared hood.

Ere Ibeji, 20th century, 12 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (31.8 x 8.3 x 8.3 cm), Wood, beads, Nigeria, 20th century, The Yoruba have one of the highest proportion of twins of any ethnic group. If a twin passes away, an Ibeji is commissioned to honor his or her spirit and help the family deal with their loss. These figures are ritually cared for, dressed and fed by the child's mother throughout her lifetime. This responsibility may be passed on to other female relatives after her death so that an Ibeji could be cared for through several generations. Each city-state and major area of Yoruba culture has developed its own style variant of these elegantly carved figures.

Plaque: Iyase with Sword and Attendant 1550-1680 Edo peoples At its origins, the centralized city-state of Benin was founded by Edo-speaking peoples. The accounts by official court historians and descriptions provided by visitors evoke a vibrant cultural center continually redefined by its leadership through shifting internal and external power dynamics. According to oral tradition, circa 1300, Edo chiefs are reputed to have reached out to the leader of neighboring Ife, Oranmiyan, to establish a new divinely sanctioned royal dynasty. Since then, the investiture of Benins rulers to the title of obas has conferred upon them at once a role of chief priest officiating in important religious ceremonies and presiding over an elaborate structure of palace officials. During the fifteenth century reign of Oba Ewuare, Benins armies were formed and the fortification of its capital with a massive wall undertaken. In parallel, delegations of Portuguese traders assiduously sought to secure exclusi

Turkey: Gold amulet depicting the Hittite Sun Goddess Arinna, central Anatolia, c. 14th-13th century BCE

Meditating Rakan, A Principle Disciple of the Buddha. Aoki Mokubei (Japan, 1767-1833). Japan, late 18th-early 19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Kyoto ware; black pottery, rosary glazed gold

Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 9th century Cambodia. Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Cambodia. 9th century. Stone. Angkor period. Sculpture

Head of god Amon, Egyptian civilization

Tomb Guardian (Zhenmushou)

FIGURA FUNERARIA. FUSION DE LOS TRES DIOSES PTAH-SOKARIS-OSIRIS. BAJA EPOCA. Location: MUSEO ARQUEOLOGICO NACIONAL-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN. OSIRIS DIOS EGIPCIO.

Mayan Urn Priest statuette, 250-900 AD. MEXICO.

Pre-Columbian Mayan Maize-god. Artist: Unknown

A Dogon Tribal Woodcarving Of A Woman Carrying A Basket Is Being Sold In A Shop In Dakar, Senegal, West Africa

Ancestor Figure(Bulul)

African carved figurine

Anthropomorphic Hacha with a BirdHeaddress. Maker: Unknown

Gigaku Buddhist Guardian Mask. Ryūkō (Japan, active early 19th century). Japan, early 19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Wood

Head of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion ca. third quarter of the 10th century Cambodia. Head of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion 39994

Himmel Christ, Lombardy, 12th century, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 22896876

Bodhisattva in pensive pose early 6th century China. Bodhisattva in pensive pose 42708

Demon Pazuzu helped people against demoness Lamashtu, 2nd mill BC. BABYLONIAN.

Child god in nemes and hemhem crown. Dimensions: H. 22 cm (8 11/16 in.); W. 10.6 cm (4 3/16 in.); D. 7.2 cm (2 13/16 in.). Date: 664-30 B.C..The figure represents a child god in a seated/reclining position, wearing the hemhem crown with the nemes. The hemhem crown was cast separately from the child god, and was inserted and secured at the top of the head. The child god is usually distinguished from adult gods by a range of iconographic clues: his nudity, the finger raised to the mouth (a child-like gesture), and the thick sidelock attached on the right side of his nemes. Here the figure's hands are both held at the sides, but his nudity and sidelock suffice to identify him as a child god. Child gods are commonly linked with royalty and this god's hemhem is an elaborate royal crown with solar associations, here emphasized not just by the sun disks at the top of the crown, but also by incised sun disks at the base of each hem element. Meanwhile, the child god's plump, well-fed belly sho

Kneeling Worshipper 12th-13th century Indonesia (Java). Kneeling Worshipper 39065

One of a Pair of Zhenmushou (Tomb GuardianCreatures)

Head of a Deity ca. 5th-6th century Sri Lanka. Head of a Deity 38616

Egyptian civilization, head of Pharaoh Ramses II

Ritual Dagger (Phurba) and Stand late 14th-early 15th century Tibet Ritual utensils are the essential tools of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism practice, used to drive away the delusions that act as impediments to enlightenment. The phurba (Sanskrit: kila) dagger seen here was designed to symbolically consume the triple poisons of ignorance, greed, and delusion that impede spiritual progress. The phurba is the embodiment of the Vajrakila Buddha, who is empowered to suppress all evil in the world. Its ritual use is first described in the Vajrakilaya Tantra, a Vajrayana text dating to the eighth century or earlier.. Ritual Dagger (Phurba) and Stand. Tibet. late 14th-early 15th century. Ebony with polychrome. Sculpture

The Bodhisattva Vajrapani with Vajra Anuchara. Nepal, circa 7th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy with traces of gilding

Standing Guanyin, 700s. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Limestone; overall: 170.8 cm (67 1/4 in.).

'Crowned Buddha. Statuette (fragment)'. Siam (now Thailand). Ayutthaya art, 16th century. Dimensions: h. 9 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Historischer Buddha Shakyamuni beim Fasten Historical Buddha Shakyamuni fasting, Gandhara, Pakistan-Afghanistan, 2nd-3rd centuries, schist, MuEC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/BartomeuxBalaguerxRotgerx 23171252

Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 801 CE-900 CE Central Java. Andesite .

Woodcarvings in Sarawak, Malaysia-Two important Kenyah statues carved for Peacekeeping Ceremony in Marudi, Baram River in 1898 (Sarawak Museum)

Headdress Frontlet 1820-40 Tsimshian. Headdress Frontlet 319090

Tlatlico, Fertility god. Mexico.

Statue of a demon at the National Museum of Kandy, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Indian Ocean, Asia

Figura de Cristo crucificado. Cobre campeado, grabado, dorado y esmaltado en fundición. 17x13 cm. Limoges, Francia, mitad s.XIII.

The Benin Empire (1440-1897) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It is not to be confused with the modern-day country called Benin (and formerly called Dahomey).

The Hindu God Balarama

Suikoju; miniature of the mask for gigaku. unknown, craftsman

Bracket with Buddha and a Pair of Acolytes, 700s-800s. Thailand, Mon-Dvaravati style, probably from Nagara Pathama, 8th-9th Century. Gray schist; overall: 43.5 cm (17 1/8 in.).

Altar Bell: Fish-Legged King 18th-19th century Edo peoples At its origins, the centralized city-state of Benin was founded by Edo-speaking peoples. The accounts by official court historians and descriptions provided by visitors evoke a vibrant cultural center continually redefined by its leadership through shifting internal and external power dynamics. According to oral tradition, circa 1300, Edo chiefs are reputed to have reached out to the leader of neighboring Ife, Oranmiyan, to establish a new divinely sanctioned royal dynasty. Since then, the investiture of Benins rulers to the title of obas has conferred upon them at once a role of chief priest officiating in important religious ceremonies and presiding over an elaborate structure of palace officials. During the fifteenth century reign of Oba Ewuare, Benins armies were formed and the fortification of its capital with a massive wall undertaken. In parallel, delegations of Portuguese traders assiduously sought to secure exclusive

Nectanebo I, ancient Egyptian pharaoh, founder of the last native dynasty of Egypt reigned 379-361 BC

Chinese funerary mask. Liao dynasty (947-1125 A.D) silver

Ancient Japanese samurai armor - 18th century ancient Japanese samurai armor - 18th century

'Crowned Buddha Maravijaya'. Siam (now Thailand).Lanna art (Extreme North area), Second half of the 16th century. Dimensions: h. 44 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Detail of Native American totem pole. Artist: Unknown

Bodhisattva standing on a flower lotus : 5th to 6th Century AD limestone sculpture from China Shandong

Shabti of the Adoratrice of Hathor Henettawy, wife of Painedjem I Third Intermediate Period ca. 1064-1055 B.C. This small figurine is a shabti from the burial of a royal woman named Henettawy who lived during the early 21st Dynasty at Thebes. During this era, control of Egypt was divided between the kings in the north, who ruled from Tanis in the Nile Delta, and the High Priests of the great state god Amun, who controlled the southern part of the country. Henettawy was a wife of the High Priest of Amun and King Painedjem I, who ruled from Thebes. She was also the daughter of a king, likely either Ramesses XI or Smendes (Nesbanebdjed) I. In the ancient Egyptian belief system, shabtis were avatars of the deceased who could be called upon to perform manual labor on his or her behalf in the afterlife. By Henettawys time, as many as 401 shabtis (a worker for each day of the year plus an overseer for each 10-day week) were included with the burials of wealthy people. Worker shabtis like thi

Puppet (Wayang Klitik) of a Begawan or possiblyTunggalmanik

Nang talung' is the shadow puppet theatre popular in southern Thailand. It is an art form said to have originated as early as 400 BC in Southeast Asia. Performances usually last well into the night and remain an essential if diminishing part of village life in Thailand's Deep South. Nang means animal hide, from which the figures are cut. Talung refers to Phatthalung, a town in southern Thailand where the art form is said to have originated. It is the task of a single skilled person, the 'nai nag' or puppet master, to create the whole show. Sitting behind an illuminated screen, he maneuvers up to six puppets per scene. The changing tone of the puppeteers voice differentiates between the characters, while a band of musicians adds tension to the story. While the more formal 'nang yai' is based on the Hindu epic the Ramayana known as the Ramakien in Thai 'nang talung' takes its inspiration from everyday life.

Ceremonial vessel decorated with three deities Ceremonial vessel decorated with three deities, Vukub Kakix, Classic, Santa María Nebaj, Museum of Maya Anthropology, Department of El Quiché, Guatemala, Central America Copyright: xZoonar.com/ToloxBalaguerx 22070997

Anonymous / "Christ of Mig Aran" (detail), 13th century, Sculpture (polychrome wood), 65 x 40 cm, Church of San Miguel de Viella, Viella Mitg Aran, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.

North American Indian art: Klingit Eagle Head from Ketchikan, S. E. Alaska. A tribal symbol of determination. Carved and painted wood.

Standing Buddha. From Sarnath, India. 5th century AD. Gupta period. British Museum. London. England. United Kingdom.

Shabti of the Divine Adoratrice, Henettawy Third Intermediate Period ca. 1070-1032 B.C. This figurine, known as a shabti, is inscribed for a woman named Henettawy who lived during the 21st Dynasty at Thebes. During this era, control of Egypt was divided between kings in the north, who ruled from Tanis in the Nile Delta, and the High Priests of the great state god Amun, ruling from Thebes in the south. Henettawy was a member of the extended family of the Theban High Priests of Amun and one of several women in the family with the same name. This Henettawy held the title Divine Adoratrice (written along with her name, inside a cartouche), indicating a very high rank in the female clergy. Given this title, she was probably the daughter of a High Priest of Amun, with Painedjem II and his wife Isetemkheb seen as the most likely candidates.Shabtis can be seen as avatars of the deceased that could be called upon to perform manual labor in the afterlife. By the 21st Dynasty, as many as 401 shab

Head of a Bodhisattva China. Head of a Bodhisattva 48416

Napatan Egyptian gold Uraeus. the Napatan Period. In the New Kingdom (about 1550 - 1069 BC). The 400 year period in Sudan following Kushite rule in Egypt is known as the 'Napatan Period,' since it used to be thought that during this era Napata was the political capital of the kingdom

King Sahure and a Nome God ca. 2458-2446 B.C. Old Kingdom This is the only preserved three-dimensional representation that has been identified as Sahure, the second ruler of Dynasty 5. Seated on a throne, the king is accompanied by a smaller male figure personifying the local god of the Coptite nome, the fifth nome (province) of Upper Egypt. This deity offers the king an ankh (hieroglyph meaning "life") with his left hand. The nome standard, with its double-falcon emblem, is carved above the god's head. Sahure wears the nemes headcloth and straight false beard of a living pharaoh. The flaring hood of the uraeus, the cobra goddess who protected Egyptian kings, is visible on his brow. The nome god wears the archaic wig and curling beard of a deity.The statue may have been intended to decorate the king's pyramid complex at Abusir, about fifteen miles south of Giza. At the end of the previous dynasty, multiple statues of this type were placed in the temple of Menkaure (Mycerinus) to symbol

Pair of Ancestor Figures(Itara)

Assyrian Winged Bull detail. Artist: Unknown

priest statue from the Tell Asmar Hoard (Early Dynastic I-II, ca. 2900-2550 B.C.) were unearthed in 1933 at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar) in the Diyala Region of Iraq

Ardhanarishvara (Composite of Shiva and Parvati) 7th-8th century Cambodia Shiva can be depicted as half male and half female to indicate the shakta-shakti relationship of the unified whole. The male half is unmoving but is given a manifest existence through the active female presence (prakrti). Ardhanarishvara images are quite literal in their illustration of this unity; the female part (the figure's proper left side) shows Parvati's elegant hairstyle, breast, broad hip, and long skirt, while the male half has Shiva's part mustache, matted hair, broad chest, slim hip, and third eye.. Ardhanarishvara (Composite of Shiva and Parvati). Cambodia. 7th-8th century. Bronze. pre-Angkor period. Sculpture

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