Head of Buddha Shakyamuni

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This head of a Buddha belonged to a large-scale standing or seated image. That it was cast independently of the body is clear from the ‘neck collar’ where it would have originally been riveted or soldered onto the torso. It has all the hallmarks of Buddhahood, the auspicious signs (lakshanas) that marked out the bodhisattva Shakyamuni as one destined for full awakening. These include the skull protuberance (ushnisha), here particularly pronounced. The distended earlobes and tufts of hair represented as clock-wise spirals, both of which resulted from the renunciation, are given prominence. Stylistically, it belongs to the high period of Buddha production in the early Ayutthaya period. While the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya is its probable place of casting, we cannot say with certainty, as the prevailing style was widely practiced in this period of political unity.

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