Reliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of Buddha

Reliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of Buddha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This container likely served as a Buddhist reliquary. There are three scenes: the first shows the miraculous birth of Siddhartha, the historical Buddha. He emerges from the right side of his mother, Queen Maya, who is supported by her sister, Mahaprajapati. The second scene depicts the temptation of Siddhartha as he meditates at Bodhgaya immediately before attaining enlightenment. The third scene is a rare representation of the crowned and jeweled Buddha setting into motion the wheel of law, a reference to his first sermon at the Deer Park at Sarnath.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Reliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of BuddhaReliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of BuddhaReliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of BuddhaReliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of BuddhaReliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of Buddha

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.