Ancient Buddhist Statues

A collection of historic sculptures depicting various Buddhist deities and figures, crafted from materials like bronze and limestone, reflecting serene expressions.

Buddha Shakyamuni. Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay (), 18th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Two Images of Vajrasattva and a Vajra, anonymous, 975 - 1025 Proposing sculpture vajrasattva, in the middle of the back of the head where the diadem is a protrusion to which the aureool was probably attached. Indonesia bronze (metal) Proposing sculpture vajrasattva, in the middle of the back of the head where the diadem is a protrusion to which the aureool was probably attached. Indonesia bronze (metal)

Figurine of Tara. unknown, sculptor

Buddha Shakyamuni. Afghanistan (), 8th-9th century. Sculpture. Limestone

Fragment of a Seated Buddha Indonesia (Kalimantan) ca. 8th century View more. Fragment of a Seated Buddha. Indonesia (Kalimantan). ca. 8th century. Bronze. Sculpture

Seated Esoteric Buddhist Deity ca. second half of the 11th-century Indonesia (Java). Seated Esoteric Buddhist Deity 39160

Goddess Green Tara Seated with Hand in Gesture of Gift Giving (Varadamudra) 1501-1600 Nepal. Gilt copper alloy .

Deity from a Set of Five Pancharaksha Goddesses 1801-1900 China. Gilt copper alloy with lapis, coral and malachite . Tibeto-Chinese

The Mahasiddha (Great Adept) Dampa Sangye (Nagpopa) (d. 1117). Central Tibet, circa mid-14th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy inlaid with silver and copper

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated with Hand in Gesture of Reassurance (Abhayamudra) 1401-1600 Nepal. Gilt bronze with gemstones .

Buddha Shakyamuni. Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay (), 18th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Guanyin Lwiego Ryku (Simhanada Awalokite War); 19th century (1801-00-00-1900-00-00);

Sun GodSurya

Bodhisattwa cundi unknown

Seated Buddha, 1100s. Burma (Myanmar). Gilt lacquer on solid wood; overall: 100 x 62 x 30 cm (39 3/8 x 24 7/16 x 11 13/16 in.).

Weituo - the defending the teachings and Buddhist monasteries; XV/16th century () (1480-00-00-1520-00-00);

Seated Manjushri 12th century India (Bengal) or Bangladesh. Seated Manjushri 38939

. Unlike the large stone sculptures for Hindu and Buddhist temples, small figurines for domestic use were made of metal. The Buddhist goddess Chunda is a female embodiment of eternal wisdom. The Hindu god Brahma, creator of the world, can be identified from his four faces, which allow him to oversee the four cardinal directions (east, south, west and north).

Seated Amitāyus, the Buddha of Eternal Life ca. 11th-12th century Burma. Seated Amitāyus, the Buddha of Eternal Life 39116

SeatedBuddha, 7thcentury, Bronze, 7 3/8 × 4 5/8 × 2 7/8 in. (18.7 × 11.8 × 7.3cm), Swat Valley, Pakistan, Pakistani, Sculpture

Seated Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Infinite Compassion. Culture: Tibet or Mongolia. Dimensions: H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm). Date: 17th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Buddha in Royal attire, Shan style, 19th century, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Standing Bodhisattva, probably Maitryeya (Buddha of the Future) ca. 3rd century Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara) On the base, small donors venerate the alms bowl of the Buddha, a relic known to have been on display in ancient Gandhara.. Standing Bodhisattva, probably Maitryeya (Buddha of the Future). Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara). ca. 3rd century. Schist. Sculpture

The Dakini Nairatma. West Nepal or West Tibet, 1300-1325. Sculpture. Gilt copper

Seated Green Tara 17th-18th century Tibet. Seated Green Tara 39138

Ganesha Seated on a Lion Throne India ca. 10th century This chubby Ganesha wears a necklace of bellstypically worn by children in Indiawhile using his trunk to reach for a bowl of sweetmeats. He holds his broken tusk as if it were a cornucopia, reflecting his role as a bringer of abundance. He sits in royal ease on a throne flanked by a pair of lions that make direct reference to the vehicle (vahana) of his mother, the goddess Durga. View more. Ganesha Seated on a Lion Throne. India. ca. 10th century. Schist. Sculpture

Buddha Shakyamuni or the Jina Buddha Akshobhya. India, West Bengal, 9th-10th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Old Buddha sculpture, bronze, from Chengrezig, Tibet

Gaja Lakshmi, Goddess of Fortune 6th century India (Jammu and Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir) The enthroned goddess holds a lotus in her left hand and a lotus cornucopia in her right, while two elephants bathe her with life-giving water. Two female attendants hold flywhisks at either side, and two lions flank her feet. A pair of donor figures holds upturned vessels, pouring riches bestowed by Lakshmi, evoking the river of fortune that flows from the goddess. Gaja Lakshmi first appears in this form in the first century B.C., making her one of the earliest recognizable goddess in southern Asia.. Gaja Lakshmi, Goddess of Fortune 38601

Gozanze Myo-o 1675-1685 Japan. This sculpture depicts Gozanze Myo-o, a four-faced, multi-limb deity, trampling Daijizaiten and his consort, Uma, the gods of unruly human passion. The figure belonged to an ensemble of five sculptures arranged within the sanctuary of an Esoteric Buddhist temple. The group was known collectively as the Godai Myo-o (Five Great Lords of Light), and together the sculptures symbolize the rage against all threats to Buddhism and all obstacles to enlightenment. Such icons were introduced to Japan from China by the monk Kukai in the ninth century, and they were used in ceremonies to bless and protect the nation.. Wood with polychromy . Nakabayashi Gennai

The Bodhisattva Shadakshari Lokesvara

Buddha Sakyamuni. unknown, sculptor

'Buddha Maravijaya (Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness)'. Siam (now Thailand). Bangkok art, Late 18th - early of the 19th century. Dimensions: h. 12 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

The Bodhisattva Maitreya. India, Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir region, circa 1000. Sculpture. Brass and silver with paint

Figurine Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sitting on the lotus throne unknown

'Bodhisattva Maitreya'. Tibet, 16th-17th century. Dimensions: h. 20 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Buddha Sakyamuni. Culture: Central Tibet. Dimensions: H. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); W. 10 7/16 in. (26.5 cm); D. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm). Date: ca. 12th century.This is a sublime and rare Tibetan depiction of the historical Buddha. Seated in yogic meditation, he gestures to the earth to witness the moment of his enlightenment. He displays auspicious marks of Buddhahood (lakshanas), including the extended earlobes, forehead mark, and skull protuberance. The subtly nuanced facial expression and articulated fingers and toes add a human dimension to this otherwise rather abstracted and ethereal Buddha image, which embodies the stillness of awakened Buddhahood. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Manjushri, an Emanation of Amitabha Buddha 11th-12th century Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). Manjushri, an Emanation of Amitabha Buddha 38331

The Hindu God Shiva Shrikantha in Union with His Consort, Guhyakali. Central Tibet, 11th-12th century. Sculpture. Brass

Korea, Seoul, Gilded bronze Avalokitesvara statuette, found in Puyo

Bodhisattva with Hands in Gesture of Teaching (Vitarkamudra) 801 CE-1000 Central Java. Bronze .

Crowned and Bejewelled Buddha Seated on an Elephant Throne 1850-1900 Burma. Gilded and lacquered wood with paint and colored glass .

Enshrined Buddha, 11th century, H.8-1/16 x W.4-3/8 x D.1-3/8 in. (without mount), bronze, Cambodia, 11th century

Hindu God Vishnu asVaikuntha-Kamalaja

Indra, Lord of the Gods: Regent of the East 9th century Sri Lanka The lokapalas stand in each of the four cardinal directions as protectors of both the Buddhist dharma (teachings) and the religious community. Texts speak of monasteries being constructed on grids symbolically marked with these deities, leaving the specific ritual function of these sculptures an open question.Indra, Lord of the Gods is Regent of the East. He holds a thunderbolt. His vehicle is the elephant.. Indra, Lord of the Gods: Regent of the East. Sri Lanka. 9th century. Bronze. Anuradhapura period. Sculpture

Old Buddha sculpture, bronze, gilded, Vajradhara, from Tibet

Old Buddha sculpture, bronze, Buddha sitting on a throne, from Japan

Vishnu Flanked by His Personified Attributes. Culture: India (Bihar). Dimensions: H. 20 3/4 in. (52.7 cm). Date: early 9th century.Vishnu rests his lower right hand on Chakrapurusha, the personification of his war discus, the chakra. His lower left hand rests on the head of Gadadevi, the female personificaiton of his mace. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

According to an ancient chronicle, the original city of Chiang Saen was built in 545 CE in an area called Yonok, by Tai migrants from the Chinese province of Yunnan, and was an important city of the Lan Na Kingdom. No reliable written history of the city exists until the arrival of King Mengrai in the 13th century. The city was sacked by Chao Kawila of Chiang Mai during the reign of Rama I, because it had been the Burmese base of operations in the preceding years. The city was deserted, while its inhabitants resettled in other Bangkok-allied Lanna cities such as Lampang and Chiang Mai.

Standing Vishnu Flanked by Attendants 9th century India (Jammu & Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir). Standing Vishnu Flanked by Attendants 38403

Seated Protective Buddha second half 6th century Thailand (Mon-Dvaravati) The preaching Buddha seated with pendant legs (the so-called European Posture’) became the signature icon of the monumental stupas built by the Mon state in 8th century central Thailand. These stupas were flanked by four such Buddhas in quartz stone, over 30 feet in height. The importance of this miniature icon of a Buddha expounding the dharma lies in both it serving as an early prototype for such monumental Buddhas, and because of the likelihood that it is the earliest bronze version of this subject known.. Seated Protective Buddha. Thailand (Mon-Dvaravati). second half 6th century. Copper alloy. Sculpture

Amida Buddha, 581-618. China, Sui dynasty (581-618). Limestone with traces of polychromy; overall: 51.4 x 20.3 cm (20 1/4 x 8 in.).

Jaina Tirthankara Parshvanatha with Serpent Hood Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra) 1101-1200 Karnataka. Chlorite .

Buddha Buddha, Northern Thailand, 14th-15th century, bronze, MuEC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/BartomeuxBalaguerxRotgerx 23171301

Vasudhara whose name means 'stream of gems' in Sanskrit, is the Buddhist bodhisattva of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. She is popular in many Buddhist countries and is a subject in Buddhist legends and art. Originally an Indian bodhisattva, her popularity has spread to southern Buddhist countries. Her popularity, however, peaks in Nepal where she has a strong following among the Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu Valley and is thus a central figure in Newar Buddhism. She is named Shiskar Apa in Lahul and Spiti.

Nepal, Patan, Museum, Tara of Seven Eyes, statue,

Buddha Shakyamuni or the Bodhisattva Maitreya Seated in European Posture. India, Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir region, 9th century. Sculpture. Brass and silver

Buddha; 19th century (1801-00-00-1900-00-00);

Buddha Shakyamuni and Scenes from the Life of the Buddha. Nepal, 12th century. Sculpture. Unalloyed copper with traces of gilding

Garuda (Vishnu's Mount) Seated in Royal Ease second half of the 8th-early 9th century India, Tamil Nadu Garuda is the great solar bird ridden by the Hindu god Visnhu. In this representation, however, his only birdlike characteristics are wings, the tips of which have been broken off. He sits in the relaxed posture of maharajalilasana (royal ease) and projects a noble and serene presence. He probably attended a statue of Vishnu.. Garuda (Vishnu's Mount) Seated in Royal Ease 38134

'Standing Crowned Buddha Pacifying the Ocean (). Fragment'. Siam (now Thailand). Ayutthaya art, 16th century ( ). Dimensions: h. 52 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated in Royal Ease. Culture: Cambodia. Dimensions: H. 22 3/4 in. (57.8 cm); W. 18 in. (45.7 cm); D. 12 in. (30.5 cm). Date: late 10th-early 11th century.The Buddhist embodiment of infinite compassion, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, is rarely represented in the rajalilasana seated posture more associated with rulers and Hindu gods. Monumental metal sculpture represents the apogee of Khmer artistic production, and this image is one of few large-scale images from the Angkorian period to have survived intact. In Khmer royal-cult practices, a close identification between a ruler and his chosen deity was customary; thus this figure, so unusually seated in a kinglike posture, may have been intended to serve as both a representation of the bodhisattva and a portrait of the ruler-patron for whom it was commissioned. Without the representation of the Amitabha Buddha, the spiritual mentor of Avalokiteshvara, in its elaborately coiffured chignon, this realistic

Bust of Crowned and Adorned Buddha 1201-1300 Burma. Bronze .

D Ambhal; 1. PO. 19th century () (1801-00-00-1850-00-00);Himalayan (culture), Art of Tibetan Buddhism, Himalayan art, purchase (provenance)

Altarpiece with Buddha Enthroned, mid-1100s. Cambodia, found in Vietnam, near Ho Chi Minh City, Reign of Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat Period, 1st half 12th Century. Bronze; overall: 26.8 cm (10 9/16 in.).

Bodhisattva 15th-16th century China. Bodhisattva 61510

The Buddhist Goddess Shyama Tara (Green Tara). India, Bihar, Patna District, 9th century. Sculpture. Biotite schist

The Hindu God Vishnu. Nepal, 1180. Sculpture. Repoussé copper alloy with traces of gilding

Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion 17th century Attributed to Choying Dorje (the Tenth Karmapa) Tibetan This image belongs to a small group of sculptures and paintings believed to have been made by Chosying Dorje (1604-1674), the Tenth Karmapa and spiritual head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is in the Kashmiri style, reflecting interregional influences at work across Tibet.. Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion 38448

Attendant Bodhisattva 10th-11th century China The figure's posture suggests that this sculpture represents a bodhisattva who served as an attendant to a Buddha or some other transcendent figure. It was most likely part of a larger group of figures depicting various members of the Buddhist pantheon.. Attendant Bodhisattva. China. 10th-11th century. Wood (foxglove) with traces of pigment; single-woodblock construction. Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Sculpture

bodhisattva, China, 17th century, Anthropology National Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Guanshiyin or Avalokitesvara is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin which means 'Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World'. Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus then sent home to the western pure land of Sukhavati. It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokitesvara, which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered in Daoism as an Immortal. In Japan, Guanyin is called Kannon.

Statue of Guanyin of the Lion’s Roar" (Simhanada Avalokiteshvara). unknown, sculptor

Japan, bronze statue of Bodhisattva

Avalokiteeshvara, Anonymous, 600 - 800 Standing, eight-poor Avalokitesvara, origin unknown, but together with Mak 1232 and 1233 found in Zuidwest-Sulawesi, Distric t Bontonompo, Bonthain department. (Divine Bronze, no. 59) Indonesia bronze (metal) Standing, eight-poor Avalokitesvara, origin unknown, but together with Mak 1232 and 1233 found in Zuidwest-Sulawesi, Distric t Bontonompo, Bonthain department. (Divine Bronze, no. 59) Indonesia bronze (metal)

Statue of Buddha on a white background

Dharmapala Mahakala. Inner Mongolia. 19th century. Statue. Brass; hammering, casting, partial gilding, engraving. The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg. Russia.

Temptation of Buddha by the Evil Forces of Mara, 700s. Northern India, Kashmir, 8th century. Ivory with gold and polychrome; overall: 13 x 8.9 cm (5 1/8 x 3 1/2 in.).

Fragment Depicting a Tathagata. Western Tibet. Date: 1101-1200. Dimensions: 15.4 x 7.7 x 2.2 cm. Wood. Origin: Western Tibet. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Seated Maitreya 9th century() India. Seated Maitreya 39129

Monk. Thailand, Lamphun, Thailand, 12th-13th century. Sculpture. Terracotta

Mahakala. Culture: India (Bihar). Dimensions: H. 24 in. (61 cm); W. 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm). Date: 11th-12th century.Mahakala is a wrathful manifestation of Shiva Bhairava, taken up in an Esoteric Buddhist context as a fierce manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara as guardian of the dharma (Buddhist law) and the sangha (community of monks and nuns). He is shown here enthroned on a lotus cushion--another supports his pendant foot--wielding a sword and trident and displaying a skull cup (kapala); his missing fourth hand likely held the flaying knife. He wears a skull diadem with radiating flames. A skull garland is slung around his waist, and snakes form his sacred cord and armbands. A kneeling couple, presumably the donors who commissioned the icon, make an offering below. A Sanskrit inscription in proto-Bengali script identifies them: it states, in part, "this is the pious gift of Dahapati.". Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Image of a sitting Bodhisattva, Anonymous, c. 1400 - c. 1500 Image of a sitting Bodhisattva (Mahsthamaprapta). The Bodhisattva holds a lotus stalk in his right hand. He holds his left hand up in front of his waist with the palm. China wood (plant material). lacquer (coating). gilding (material) gilding Image of a sitting Bodhisattva (Mahsthamaprapta). The Bodhisattva holds a lotus stalk in his right hand. He holds his left hand up in front of his waist with the palm. China wood (plant material). lacquer (coating). gilding (material) gilding

Vishnu, 800s. Nepal, style of Changu Narayan, 9th century. Schist; overall: 43.8 cm (17 1/4 in.).

Stele with Scenes from the Life of the Buddha 11th-12th century Burma. Stele with Scenes from the Life of the Buddha 38316

Bodhisattva Maitreya with Fear-Not Gesture (abhayamudra). Southern Tibet. Date: 1401-1500. Dimensions: 23.8 x 10.7 x 5.6 cm (9 5/16 x 4 1/4 x 2 3/16 in.). Gilt bronze with blue pigment and gemstones. Origin: Southern Tibet. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Religious teacher, anonymous, c. 1300 - c. 1400 Statue of one-religious teacher, the right hand in the Vitarka-Mudra. Karnataka (possibly) bronze (metal) Statue of one-religious teacher, the right hand in the Vitarka-Mudra. Karnataka (possibly) bronze (metal)

Kinnari Playing the Vina ca. first quarter of the 10th century Indonesia (Java). Kinnari Playing the Vina 39053

Buddha Calling on Earth to Witness, 800s. Northeastern India, Bihar, Tetravan, Pala Period (750-1197). Chloritic schist; overall: 94 cm (37 in.).

Statue of Vajrasattva on a white background

Figure of Guanyin, anonymous, 600 - 800 Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), standing in Tribhanga; The left arm is partially demolished, as well as the fly brush in the right hand; A small Amitabha-Buddha in the headdress. China bronze (metal). gilding (material) gilding Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), standing in Tribhanga; The left arm is partially demolished, as well as the fly brush in the right hand; A small Amitabha-Buddha in the headdress. China bronze (metal). gilding (material) gilding

Tsa tsa with image of Buddha Sakyamuni. unknown, craftsman

Bodhisattva, possibly Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin )Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Culture: China. Dimensions: H. 15 1/8 in. (38.4 cm). Date: 15th-16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Bronze Buddha, from Thailand. Dated 17th Century

Buddha, Thailand, 18th century, bronze, Anthropology National Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) late 7th-early 8th century China. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin). China. late 7th-early 8th century. Gilt bronze. Tang dynasty (618-907). Sculpture

Seated Four-Armed Shiva 12th century Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). Seated Four-Armed Shiva. Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). 12th century. Copper. Malla period. Sculpture

Standing Lakshmi (Goddess of Fortune) 13th century Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). Standing Lakshmi (Goddess of Fortune). Nepal (Kathmandu Valley). 13th century. Copper alloy, inlaid with semiprecious stones. Sculpture

Jain Svetambara Tirthankara in Meditation first half of the 11th century India (Gujarat or Rajasthan) At the heart of daily Jain religious observance is the veneration of the image of the jina, the conceptual basis of which is the pan-Indian ideal of the yogic ascetic. This ancient practice, celebrated in the Vedas (the most ancient Hindu texts), equates the acquisition of spiritual wisdom with the pursuit of advanced forms of meditation and withdrawal from material comforts. In Jainism, the twenty-four liberated souls who are recognized as having attained this elevated state are worshipped as tirthankaras (ford crossers). This jina-tirthankara, seated on a bejeweled throne cushion, was probably intended to represent Mahavira, the historical founder of Jainism, a near contemporary of the Buddha Shakyamuni in the fifth century B.C. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #7908. Jain Svetambara Tirthankara in Meditation, Seated on a Throne Cushion Supported

Divinity seated in Rajalilasana pose, 9th-10th century, style of Dong Duon ( H. m. 0,72),Cham Art,Da Nang Museum, Vietnam.

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