Buddha Offering Protection

Buddha Offering Protection

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This grand Buddha gestures compassionate protection to devotees (abhaya mudra) with his raised right hand, while his left hand supports the sweeping fall of his monastic robe (uttarsanga). The facial features and bodily contour suggest that the work is a product of the early Polonnaruva Period.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.