Model of the Mahabodhi Temple

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Models of the temple at Bodhgaya, where the Buddha reached enlightenment, have been found in Tibet, Nepal, Burma, and across north India. This model gives a sense of the temple and its exterior imagery. By the twelfth century, the temple and the image it contained were the focus of devotion rather than the Bodhi tree, here relegated to a place behind the tower on the second story.

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