Prajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom

Prajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Esoteric Buddhist deities were favored in both Java and Sumatra, reflecting an intense interest in Vajrayana Buddhism during this period, fostered by regular contacts with monastic Buddhism in eastern India. The cult of Prajnaparamita was stimulated by the circulation of manuscript editions of the scripture personified by this goddess, the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita. This image relates to a number of bronze icons of bodhisattvas from the Palembang region of Sumatra.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Prajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent WisdomPrajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent WisdomPrajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent WisdomPrajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent WisdomPrajnaparamita, the Buddhist Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom

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.