Seated Bodhisattva

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The seated bodhisattva in this fragment of a wall painting displays the gesture of exposition or teaching with his left hand. While he wears the elaborate jeweled headdress, earrings, and necklaces typical of a bodhisattva, his garments are monastic robes. Their green color is typical of Central Asian painting, while much of the black was not intended but instead is the result of the oxidation of pigments.

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