The Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a Deity

The Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a Deity

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The four celestial Tathagata Buddhas, marking the directional Pure Lands, flank Vairochana, symbolized by the double-pronged vajra (thunderbolt) at center. The large diamond at its axis refers to Vajrayana being the diamond vehicle of Buddhism.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a DeityThe Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a DeityThe Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a DeityThe Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a DeityThe Five Tathagata or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a Deity

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.