Pair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist Deities

Pair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist Deities

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pair of painted wooden manuscript covers shows a series of Buddhist deities seated on lotus thrones before aureoles, interspersed with cauri-fans hanging above and ritual utensils below. Above are nine bodhisattvas, with Manjushri at center; below, Prajnaparamita is accompanied by six other Taras, flanked by two wrathful guardians.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist DeitiesPair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist DeitiesPair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist DeitiesPair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist DeitiesPair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist Deities

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.