Votive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvas

Votive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvas

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This votive stele probably comes from Hebei or Shandong province, where limestone is abundant and where Buddhism flourished during the Northern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties. Recent excavations in both provinces have yielded numerous examples, many of which still retain their pigment and gilding.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Votive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvasVotive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvasVotive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvasVotive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvasVotive stele with Buddha and bodhisattvas

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.