Bust of a Bodhisattva

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This image was made at a time when the naturalism of the earlier sculptural tradition was giving way to a greater formality, as artists strove to depict enlightened beings. The elaborate hairstyle, with topknot and hair flowing behind the shoulders, suggests that the sculpture represents Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. This image was once embellished with metal elements—note the iron remains of an attachment in his left ear and the holes for affixing metal decorative elements along edge of his jeweled hair ornament.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art