Buddhist Sculptures and Artifacts

Significant Buddhist sculptures from different dynasties, including standing figures and heads, reflecting the richness of Buddhist artistic heritage.

Bodhisattva head. Black limestone. China, beginning of the suis dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 55161-18 Chinese art, Buddhism, black limestone, China, sui, statue, head bodhisattva

Buddha head. Iron. China, Song Dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 55161-9 Chinese art, Buddhism, spiritual leader, China, Song, Iron, Sage, Statue dynasty

Standing Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. Culture: Thailand (Buriram Province, Prakhon Chai). Dimensions: H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). Date: ca. 8th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Standing Buddha 701 CE-800 CE Thailand. Sandstone .

Standing Buddha 1001-1100 Burma. Bronze inlaid with silver .

Bodhisattva head. Black limestone. China, beginning of the suis dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 55161-18 Chinese art, Buddhism, black limestone, China, sui, statue, head bodhisattva

A Buddha. Indonesia, Eastern Java, circa 14th century or later. Sculpture. Volcanic tuff

Bodhisattva Guanyin, late 500s-early 600s. China, late Northern Qi (550-577) or early Sui dynasty (581-618). Sandstone with polychromy; overall: 138.8 x 38.2 x 27.4 cm (54 5/8 x 15 1/16 x 10 13/16 in.). The artistic excellence of this bodhisattva is further reinforced by comparable outstanding Chinese Buddhist sculptures excavated at Qingzhou in Shandong Province in 1996one of the most sensational and significant archaeological finds of the 20th century. Like related types among the Qingzhou finds, this statute has a gently smiling face and meticulous detailing of splendid jewelry. A noticeable difference, however, is the unique yingluo (mukt hara) worn by the bodhisattva for personal adornment. The somewhat bizarre but imaginative combination of a string of jewels with grotesque animal masks, flying apsara, jade pendants, dragons, and metal ornaments was probably a regional decorative style of Shanxi Province.

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 often placed on mummies as well. The piece here depicts the god Thoth as a man with an ibis-head. Thoth was the god of knowledge and writing, and he was thought to have healing powers. Thoth amulets were popular mummy amulets, which possibly relates to his healing powers and to his role as recorder of the final judgment, in which it was determined if the deceased had lived a virtuous life.. Thoth Amulet 552690

Walking Buddha first half of the 13th century Thailand. Walking Buddha 39102

Harpokrates in double crown 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period 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. The faint incised outline of a string is visible at his neck, intended for the suspension of an amulet, an 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 Egyp

Standing Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. Culture: Thailand or Cambodia. Dimensions: H. 30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm). Date: 8th-early 9th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

. Standing Buddha, left foot is missing. Origin unknown, but the image has collapsed with Mak 1233 and 1234 found in Southwest Sulawesi, Distr. Bontonompo, Afbain department.

Two Bodhisattvas, anonymous, 850 - 900 Bodhisattva, standing on a pedestal, arms and feet are missing. China wood (plant material) Bodhisattva, standing on a pedestal, arms and feet are missing. China wood (plant material)

Child god with hemhem crown 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period The figure represents a child god in a seated/reclining position, wearing the hemhem crown with the nemes. 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 thick sidelock attached on the right side of his nemes. Child gods are commonly linked with royalty and this gods hemhem is an elaborate royal crown with solar associations. Meanwhile, his plump, well-fed belly showcases his ability to bring about prosperity and abundance. A triple-strap suspension loop rests at the back of his neck. 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. The best known is Horus the Child (Harpokrates), who was the son of Isis and Osiris, but many others existed, including Khonsu the Child, Ihy, and Harsiese, among oth

Head of Bodhisattva Guanyin, c. 510-520. China, Six Dynasties period (317-581), Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). Stone; overall: 36.2 cm (14 1/4 in.).

Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro 18th century Maohi people God images (too) were bound with a fiber “skin” to encourage deities to temporarily inhabit them. The act of binding was accompanied by the recitation of chants during which the fiber literally caught the chanted words, making them lasting and tangible. Loops of coconut cord on this too reference the body: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The navel, a portal to the sacred interior of the god image, is indicated by a small depression two-thirds of the way down the trunk.. Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro. Maohi people. 18th century. Wood, coconut fiber, traces of feathers. Tahiti, Society Islands. Wood-Sculpture

Bodhisattva head. Rock. Cernuschi Museum, Asia Museum of Asia in the city of Paris.

Standing Vishnu. Culture: Thailand or Cambodia. Dimensions: H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm). Date: 12th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Head of a Bodhisattva. Culture: China. Dimensions: H. 14 in. (35.6 cm); W. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm). Date: late 5th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Probably Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin), the Bodhisattva of Mercy. China, Sui dynasty, 591-618. Sculpture. Cast bronze with gilding

Stone statue of the Fasting Buddha, Shakyamuni, from Afghanistan. Dated 2nd Century

Head of BodhisattvaGuanyin

Ancient head of Buddha Old stone head of Buddha isolated over white background Copyright: xZoonar.com/IvonnexWierinkx 11251566

Standing figures of Jain Tirthankaras. In Jainism, a Tirthankara is a human being who helps in achieving liberation and enlightenment as an Arihant by destroying their soul-constraining karmas, became a role model and leader for those seeking spiritual guidance. Tirthankaras revitalize Jain Society by organisation of fourfold Jain order consisting of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. Not all souls become Tirthankaras.

Daoist Priest with Zodiac Animal, Dog China. Daoist Priest with Zodiac Animal, Dog. China. Stoneware. Song dynasty (960-1279). Tomb Pottery

Cup of Buddha. Cup of a Buddha of an alabaster-like stone.

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

Standing Jain Tirthankara Parshvanatha 6th century India Parshvanatha lived in the ninth century B.C. He became revered as one of the great saviors, or tirthankaras of the Jain religion, one of the three great religions of India. Parshvanatha can be identified by the seven-headed cobra that shelters him while he stands meditating. Two attendantsPadmavati, holding a fan, and Dharana, holding an umbrellastand to either side. Presumably, the tiny figures at the bottom of the relief are its two donors.. Standing Jain Tirthankara Parshvanatha. India. 6th century. Sandstone. Gupta period. Sculpture

Ancestor Figure (Silum or Telum) Anjam people mid to late 19th century Ancestors were central to the art and religion of the peoples of Astrolabe Bay in northeast New Guinea. Ancestor figures appear to have been associated primarily with mens ceremonial houses. This work is attributed to Bogadjim village, where ancestor images were honored periodically with ceremonial feasts. During the feasts, occasions of both reverence and revelry, the figures served as temporary abodes for ancestral spirits and were placed among the participants to allow the ancestors to join in the festivities. The figures probably were also associated with male initiation. This work likely portrays a powerful ancestor adorned with the marks of his status and wealth. He wears the spherical headdress reserved for prominent men, and the forms on his chest represent spiral pigs tusks, which were prized throughout the region.

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara second half of the 7th century Southern Thailand This bodhisattva of compassion is represented as an ascetic, dressed in a waistcloth secured with a cord, the details incised into the contours of his torso. He has a flayed antelope skin (ajina) across his left shoulder, an attribute of the earliest representations of this bodhisattva in early seventh-century northern India. The cult of Avalokiteshvara assumed special importance in Mahayana Buddhism during this period. Soon after its development in India, it was shared with Southeast Asian practitioners.cat. no. 133. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Southern Thailand. second half of the 7th century. Sandstone. Sculpture

Buddha image, late Pagan Style, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future 8th-9th century Thailand (Buriram Province, Prakhon Chai). Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Thailand (Buriram Province, Prakhon Chai). 8th-9th century. Bronze. Sculpture

Fragment of a Buddha image, Anonymous, 1600 - 1699 Bust of a Buddha; The head has been broken down as well as the left hand and the fingers of the right hand. Thailand bronze (metal) Bust of a Buddha; The head has been broken down as well as the left hand and the fingers of the right hand. Thailand bronze (metal)

Jain Digambara Tirthanhara Standing in Kayotsarga Meditation Posture. Culture: India (Deccan, Karnataka). Dimensions: H. 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm); W. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm); D. 4 in. (10.2 cm)Base: H. 8 in. (20.3 cm); W. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); D. 6 in. (15.2 cm). Date: 12th century.A tirthankara is standing in kayotsarga, or austerity meditation. The figure is austere, completely lacking in "adornment" (alamkara), a virtue in Hindu sculpture but seen by Digambara Jains as counter to the vows of renunciation. The short hair curls are an anomaly, as they mimic the Buddhist convention of short curls left after cutting off the hair with a sword rather than the required Jain practice of plucking out one's own hair. The extended earlobes share a common ancestry, denoting a personage who once wore heavy jewelry, implying that all jinas were of high birth. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Buddha with radiate halo and mandorla 5th-6th century China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Turfan area) This portable shrine from the northern branch of the Central Asian Silk Road was probably the centerpiece of a three-part traveling shrinea small triptych with doors. Two donors on the base venerate what appears to be a pot overflowing with vegetation. Such shrines for personal devotion traveled with merchants and pilgrims. While the Buddha, especially his hairstyle, can be related to Chinese imagery, the overall presentation of the figure and the combined halo and mandorla show connections to the Afghan and Gandharan visual tradition (see 48.66a, b).. Buddha with radiate halo and mandorla 36038

Buddha Protected by a Seven-headed Naga late 12th-early 13th century Cambodia This fragmentary sculpture, reportedly found south of the temple of Chausay Tevoda outside Angkor Thom, is in the late twelfth-century style of the Bayon. It originally portrayed Siddhartha before his enlightenment, meditating while seated on the coils of a giant naga (serpent). According to legend, a huge cobra shielded the future Buddha from a storm sent to distract him from his meditation and thereby prevent his ultimate salvation.. Buddha Protected by a Seven-headed Naga. Cambodia. late 12th-early 13th century. Sandstone. Angkor period. Sculpture

Buddha with Radiate Halo and Mandorla. Culture: China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Turfan area). Dimensions: H. 14 1/4 x W. 5 1/2 x D. 2 5/8 in. (36.2 x 14 x 6.7 cm). Date: 5th-6th century.This portable shrine from the northern branch of the Central Asian Silk Road was probably the centerpiece of a three-part traveling shrine--a small triptych with doors. Two donors on the base venerate what appears to be a pot overflowing with vegetation. Such shrines for personal devotion traveled with merchants and pilgrims. While the Buddha, especially his hairstyle, can be related to Chinese imagery, the overall presentation of the figure and the combined halo and mandorla show connections to the Afghan and Gandharan visual tradition (see 48.66a, b). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Shabti (Ushabti) of the Overseer of the Fleet, Hekaemsaf 570-526 B.C. Late Period (Saite) Discovered in 1903 in the tomb of the Overseer of the Royal Fleet, Hekaemsaf, this shabti, one of a set of 401, exemplifies a high point in the manufacture of such funerary figures. The mummiform shabti stands on a low pedestal; this, and the shallow pilaster behind echo the form of a statue. The long wig and curled beard are markers of divinity, indicating that Hekaemsaf has been transformed into a being capable of participating in the afterlife. The agricultural tools he holds - a pick in one hand, a hoe in the other, and a basket slung over his back - prepare him to carry out labor in the afterlife should he be called on to do so by the gods. Hekaemsafs tomb was a deep shaft with the main burial chamber and two smaller chambers for family members at the bottom. The subsidiary chambers had been looted by ancient tomb robbers, but Hekaemsafs rich burial was intact. The mummy of this high offici

Egyptian god Atum: Atum as Mnevis, Atum as a mongoose and Atum.

Standing Male Deity (Perhaps Vishnu) Holding a Conch 6th century or earlier Afghanistan. Standing Male Deity (Perhaps Vishnu) Holding a Conch 39168

Amulet - Khnum

Standing bronze Buddha image from Dong Duon in the Amaravati style, Saigon National Museum, Saigon, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Female musician late 7th century China Ensembles featuring female musicians often served as a musical bridge between elite and popular culture. As expert musicians, they were often musical innovators. Here, a small ensemble is shown (23.180.4-.7), clapping and playing the pipa, tongbo (small copper cymbals), and konghou (harp). The pipa is played in its original position, like an Arabic lute; its silk strings are plucked with a triangular plectrum. The construction and playing style resemble those of the biwa, a Japanese lute derived from the pipa. Today, the biwa maintains the use of a triangular plectrum, the West Asian plectrum guard, and the C-shaped sound holes seen on the instrument played by the musician here as well as on the jade belt featured in this case. The Chinese playing style changed during the chaotic Later Tang period (921-36), when the plectrum was discarded. The angular konghou harp, introduced at the end of the Han dynasty, was in decline at this time and had gone

Buddha Sakyamuni. unknown, sculptor

Jain Digambara Tirthanhara Standing in Kayotsarga Meditation Posture 12th century India (Deccan, Karnataka) A tirthankara is standing in kayotsarga, or austerity meditation. The figure is austere, completely lacking in "adornment" (alamkara), a virtue in Hindu sculpture but seen by Digambara Jains as counter to the vows of renunciation. The short hair curls are an anomaly, as they mimic the Buddhist convention of short curls left after cutting off the hair with a sword rather than the required Jain practice of plucking out one's own hair. The extended earlobes share a common ancestry, denoting a personage who once wore heavy jewelry, implying that all jinas were of high birth.. Jain Digambara Tirthanhara Standing in Kayotsarga Meditation Posture. India (Deccan, Karnataka). 12th century. Copper alloy. Western Chalukyan period. Sculpture

Ancestor Figure 19th century or earlier Sawos people The Sawos people of the Middle Sepik River region of New Guinea are divided into a number of clans, each of which is associated with specific ancestors and totemic species. These ancestral and totemic beings are represented by wooden figures kept in the men's ceremonial houses. Wooden figures such as this represent a category of powerful and dangerous ancestral beings called wan or waken and each figure owned by a specific clan is named for an important clan ancestor. This figure which bears the name Minjemtimi and is reputed to be ten generations old. It is said to have been made in the village of Kwalunggei. When warriors from neighboring Yamok village raided Kwalunggei, the figure is said to have come to life and fought the invaders until hit by a spear, which broke off its left arm (the wound is still visible as a repair). The wounded Minjemtimi fell to the ground and turned back into a wooden figure that was carried off by the r

Seated Buddha Protected by Naga (front), Dancing Multi-Headed Hevajra (back) 13th century Thailand or Cambodia. Seated Buddha Protected by Naga (front), Dancing Multi-Headed Hevajra (back) 64926

Buddha Shakyamuni. Thailand, Dvaravati, 8th century. Sculpture. Terracotta

Shiva Emerging from the Linga (Lingodbhavamurti) 12th century India. Shiva Emerging from the Linga (Lingodbhavamurti). India. 12th century. Gray stone. Chola period (880-1279). Sculpture

Figure: Court Attendant with Ceremonial Sword 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

Amulet - figurka Thota. unknown, author

Buddha on pedestal. Buddha standing on a pedestal; Hands and part of the arms are missing.

Male Deity. Stone head of a deity in the baphuone style.

Sandstone Ganesh of the Baphuon period, Khmer art in private collection, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

KsitigarbhaJizo Bosatsu. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm). Date: 13th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Standing Bodhisattva 16th-17th century Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). Standing Bodhisattva 39266

God Vishnu's Mount, Garuda, Kneeling with Hands in Gesture of Adoration (Anjalimudra) 1301-1400 Kathmandu Valley. Schist .

Standing Ganesha second half of the 7th century Cambodia Ganesha is the Hindu elephant-headed deity who removes obstacles and is thus the god of success; in this sense, he is a god of great importance for everyday existence. He was venerated first, before the worshipper turned to the other gods, in order to remove potential obstacles between the worshipper and the divine. In Southeast Asia, Ganesha has a more independent status than in India; his images were often housed in separate temples as primary icons of worship. Here, Ganesha is shown wearing a short wraparound skirt (sampot), the front end of which falls down the center in a series of flaring folds characteristic of the Prasat Andet style.. Standing Ganesha 38159

Statuette of Merer ca. 1981-1802 B.C. Middle Kingdom The four statues 10.176.57-.60 belonged to the Scribe of Divine Offerings Merer. Their short kilts are covered with spells from the Coffin Texts. The phrase inscribed on the two middle-sized figures (.58 and .60) is typical: "Oh Osiris Merer, come with me and I will open for you your eyes that they may lead you on the ways of darkness and that they may put fear of you into the Imperishable Ones, as did Horus for his father Osiris.". Statuette of Merer. ca. 1981-1802 B.C.. Wood, paintGesso. Middle Kingdom. From Egypt; Said to be from Middle Egypt, Meir; Probably from Asyut (Lykopolis). Dynasty 10-11

Harpokrates 332-30 B.C. Ptolemaic Period Harpokrates, or Horus the Child, is depicted here. Nudity and a finger (broken) raised to the mouth identify the figure as a child god, reinforced by the plumpness of his body and rolls of fat on his throat, and by the child lock once affixed to his crown on the left. The double crown identifies the god specifically as Harpokrates. The crown is quite elaborate, decorated with tiny circles and falcon spread across the back of the crown. The god also wears a large broad collar and a precious metal bag amulet hangs on a string about his neck.The torsion in the god's figure is remarkable.. Harpokrates 546216

Dancer in ritual honouring maize, whistle, ceramic, Mayan Classical period 300-900 AD, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

Architectural Bracket in the Form of the Hindu Goddess Kali. India, Kerala, late 15th century. Architecture; Architectural Elements. Jackwood with traces of paint

Daoist Priest with Zodiac Animal, Rat China. Daoist Priest with Zodiac Animal, Rat. China. Stoneware. Song dynasty (960-1279). Tomb Pottery

Priest with vase and censer ca. 945-712 B.C. Third Intermediate Period The dominant mode for metal statuary of nonroyal individuals during the first millennium B.C. was the ritual pose. Most statuettes in the genre display the shaved head, flowing garments, and other accoutrements that from the New Kingdom on were associated with priests. However, none of these priest-type figures can be definitively dated to the New Kingdom; this example has technical features that suggest a later date. It is thus possible that the placement of nonroyal ritual statuary in temples was an exception before the Third Intermediate Period.. Priest with vase and censer 545997

An Apostle () second half 12th century French. An Apostle () 466399

God Set or Seth, Egypt.

Heiltsuk nation totem post. Artist: Unknown

Buddha Shakyamuni. Sri Lanka, 17th-18th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy with traces of paint

Goddess with Temple Headdress

Head of a Jain Tirthankara 2nd century India. Head of a Jain Tirthankara 38380

'Buddha Reconciling His Relatives (). Fragment'. Siam (now Thailand). Ayutthaya art, 16th century. Dimensions: h. 49 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Bodhisattva, anonymous, 1200 - 1400 Image of a Bodhisattva, standing in Tribhanga posture. Tibet wood (plant material). dye. Image of a Bodhisattva, standing in Tribhanga posture. Tibet wood (plant material). dye.

Buddhist attendant (possibly Kasyapa) late 6th-7th century China. Buddhist attendant (possibly Kasyapa) 61776

Guardian Figure(Hampatong)

Head of Buddha. Culture: Afghanistan (probably Hadda). Dimensions: H. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). Date: 5th-6th century.The well-preserved surface and traces of paint provide an idea of what this head looked like when it was being used in worship. The abstracted treatment of the eyes and the intersecting plains defining forehead, eyebrows, and nose are stylistic features shared with imagery produced in north India during the Gupta period. The fact that this north Indian way of presenting the Buddha had penetrated into Afghanistan suggests a shared Buddhist tradition. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Fragment of a Buddha image. Fragment of a Buddha image.

Kneeling Female second half of the 11th century Cambodia This figure, perhaps a Khmer queen, kneels in a posture of adoration with arms raised above her head and palms pressed together. This pose suggests the presence originally of another statuea god or god-king whom she was worshiping. There are indications that the figure was originally completely gilded. Her eyes are inlaid with silver, and her pupils and brows are hollowed out to receive an inlay, perhaps of black glass.. Kneeling Female. Cambodia. second half of the 11th century. Bronze inlaid with silver, traces of gold. Angkor period, Khmer style of the Baphuon. Sculpture

Female Deity 15th-early 16th century Aztec. Female Deity 307642

Stand for offerings depicting three goats, from Larsa, bronze and gold

Bodhisattva 10th century China. Bodhisattva 61533

Plastered and painted wood statue depicting a female offering-bearer, Middle Kingdom

Goddess Green Tara Standing with Hand in Gesture of Gift-Giving (varadamudra) 901 CE-1000 Nepal. Copper alloy .

Head of a bodhisattva, anonymous, 600 - 930 Fragment (head) of a bodhisattva. Plaosan Temple andesite Fragment (head) of a bodhisattva. Plaosan Temple andesite

Plaque: Oba or Chief 16th-17th 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 commerc

Tusk Fragment with Christ Enthroned 810-1010 The close similarity of this fragment to the image of Christ with angels on the Ascension ivory (17.190.46) suggests that ivory carvers carved the same image for more than one patron.. Tusk Fragment with Christ Enthroned 453653

Standing Four-Armed Deity ca. 7th century Cambodia. Standing Four-Armed Deity 38443

Head of a Bodhisattva China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region) 6th-7th century The delicate modeling of the hair and face provide a sense of the sophisticated sculptural production at Rawak. Early photographs show that this bodhisattva originally had an elaborate topknot, suggestive of the figure of the future Buddha Maitreya. This bodhisattva also had flowers in his hair, earrings, and an elaborate halo embellished with multiple Buddha images (similar to 30.32.33 and 30.32.44). The use of unfired red clay is a technical feature shared with late Afghan Buddhist imagery.

Virgin and Child (from the church of Saint Martin ofAngers). Artist: Unknown

Seated Buddha 9th century Indonesia (Java). Seated Buddha 38997

Bronze Tara in Dong Duong style, discovered in 1978, Cham art, Da Nang Museum, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Aztec statue, Earth goddess, Teteoinan. 1300-1521 AD. MEXICO.

Myanmar (Burma), Mandalay State, Mandalay, the Shwe Nan Daw temple, nice sample of teak traditional architecture covered with sculpted wooden panels recounting previous lifes of Buddha

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 23171435

Bishop Saint (from the church of Saint Martin ofAngers). Artist: Unknown

Ancient egyptian figure of a god (Osiris)

Head of Tutankhamun ca. 1336-1327 B.C. New Kingdom, Amarna Period This head is a fragment from a statue group that represented a god seated on a throne with the young king Tutankhamun in front of him. The king's figure was considerably smaller than that of the god, indicating his subordinate status in the presence of the deity. All that remains of the god is his right hand, which touches the back of the king's crown in a gesture that signifies Tutankhamun's investiture as king. During coronation rituals, various types of crowns were put on the king's head. The type represented hereprobably a leather helmet with metal disks sewn onto itwas generally painted blue, and is commonly called the "blue crown." The ancient name was khepresh.Statue groups showing a king together with gods had been created since the Old Kingdom, and formal groups relating to the pharaoh's coronation were dedicated at Karnak by Hatshepsut and other rulers of Dynasty 18. The Metropolitan's head of Tutankhamun wit

Ceramic vase depicting priest with joined hands

Head of a Bodhisattva early 12th century Central Asia. Head of a Bodhisattva 40048

Stele commissioned by Helian Ziyue () dated 544 (completed 2nd year of Wuding reign) China A decisive episode from the Sutra on the Discourse of Vimalakirti is given dramatic and complex treatment on the upper half of this stele. The scene (a debate) takes place in a windblown landscape, as indicated by the trees at center and in the background. Vimalakirti (Weimo) sits in a curtained and tasseled pavilion at right, attended by fourteen figures; Manjushri (Wenshu) is accompanied by thirty attendants. Standing to either side of the two trees at center are the monk Shariputra and a female figure, who together represent the scene's most dramatic moment: Shariputra transforms himself into a woman and then changes back to his original form to demonstrate the impermanence and irrelevance of gender or any other state of being—one of the main points of the sutra. This is also one of the many moments in which the learned Vimalakirti trounces the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.Above the debate scene,

Goddess Green Tara Standing with Hand in Gesture of Gift-Giving (varadamudra). Nepal. Date: 901 AD-1000. Dimensions: 28.5 x 19.6 x 10.4 cm (11 5/8 x 7 11/16 x 4 1/16 in.). Copper alloy. Origin: Nepal. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

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