Pilgrim Sudhana (Shancai tongzi)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sculptures of a standing boy holding his hands in a reverent gesture often represent Sudhana, a young pilgrim who traveled throughout South and Southeast Asia to study with learned masters and celestial bodhisattvas in his quest for enlightenment. In China, he is often shown venerating the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, whom he visited during his journeys.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art