Votive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a Temple

Votive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a Temple

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Such plaques were made of clay from sacred pilgrimage sites and hence had intrinsic power as relics for pilgrims. The Buddha sits in a temple like the one at Bodhgaya, where he reached enlightenment; surrounding him is a forest of stupas and below is the same ye dharma verse found on the Buddha from Nalanda outlining the path to enlightenment, or Buddhist dharma.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Votive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a TempleVotive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a TempleVotive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a TempleVotive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a TempleVotive Plaque: Seated Buddha in a Temple

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.