Buddha Offering Protection

Buddha Offering Protection

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Processional icons of the protecting Buddha have been recovered in south India principally from the famed monastic center (mahavihara) of Nagapattinam, located at the delta of the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. Cast in the same style as contemporary Hindu icons also designed for festival use, this image bears witness to the survival of Buddhism in the predominantly Hindu culture of the Chola territories.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.