Buddha Maitreya (Mile) altarpiece

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Maitreya is the only divinity in Buddhism revered as both a bodhisattva and a Buddha. Slated as the next being to achieve enlightenment, he exists on the verge of Buddhahood, his bodhisattva’s vows completed and the promise of enlightenment assured. Devotion to Maitreya was widespread in China in the late fifth and sixth centuries. This complex assembly shows Maitreya emerging from a halo of flames as he descends to earth to rescue the devout.

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