Art and Buddhism

Title Card

Two Lotuses, from the Bharhut Stupa. India, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga period, ca. 1st century b.c. Sculpture. Red sandstone, 14 7/8 x 21 ½ x 2 1/2 in. (37.8 x 54.6 x 6.3 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Morse, 1972 (1972.215)

Poster

Taima Mandala (detail). Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333), 14th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, 36 1⁄8 x 28 5⁄8 in. (91.8 x 72.7 cm). Rogers Fund, 1957 (57.156.6)

 

 

Video

Buddha Offering Protection (detail). India, late 6th–early 7th century. Copper alloy, 18 1/2  x 6 1/8 x 5 5/8 in. (47 x 15.6 x 14.3 cm). Purchase, Florance Waterbury Bequest, 1969 (69.222)

 

Chapter Introduction — Meet the Buddha

Buddha Offering Protection (detail). India, late 6th/early 7th century. Copper alloy, 18 1/2 x  6 1/8 x 5 5/8 in. (47 x 15.6 x 14.3 cm). Purchase, Florance Waterbury Bequest, 1969 (69.222)

 

The Buddha: A Short Bio — Flipcards Gallery

Flip Card 1—Out of the Wilderness
Shaka (Shakyamuni), The Historical Buddha, Descending from the Mountains (detail). Japan, 15th c. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, 42 1/4 x 22 3/8 in. (107.3 x 56.8 cm). Rogers Fund, 1918 (18.124.11)

Flip Card 2—Enlightenment
Buddha’s Enlightenment. Thailand, 15th century. Bronze, 27 x 9 1/4 in. (68.6 x 48.9 cm). Purchase, The J. H. W. Thompson Foundation Gift and Gifts of friends of Jim Thompson, in his memory, 2002 (2002.131)

Flip Card 3— First Sermon
Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath and Five Original Disciples (detail). Pakistan, ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd century. Schist, 11 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. (28.6 x 31.1 cm.). Gift of Daniel Slott, 1980 (1980.527.4)

Flip Card 4—Nirvana
Death of the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni (detail). Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333), 14th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, 77 2 x 74 1/4 in. (196.9 x 188.6 cm). Rogers Fund, 1912 (12.134.10)

Flip Card 5—Lasting Impact
Reliquary in the Shape of a Stupa. Pakistan, ancient region of Gandhara, ca. 4th–5th century. Bronze, 22 3/4 x 7 ½ x 7 1/2 in. (57.8 x 19.1 x 19.1 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Bruckmann, 1985 (1985.387a, b)

 

Local Flavor— Flipcards Gallery

Hotspot 1 — Pakistan
Buddha (detail). Pakistan, Ancient region of Gandhara, possibly Takht-i-bahi monastery, 3rd century. Schist, 36 1/2 x 11 x 5 1/2 in. (92.7 x 27.9 x 14 cm). Purchase, Denise and Andrew Saul Gift, in honor of Maxwell K. Hearn, (2014 2014.188)

Hotspot Image 2 — India
Buddha Offering Protection (detail). India, late 6th–early 7th century. Copper alloy, 18 1/2 x  6 1/8 x 5 5/8 in. (47 x 15.6 x 14.3 cm). Purchase, Florance Waterbury Bequest, 1969 (69.222)

Hotspot Image 3 — China
The Buddha, probably Amitabha (detail). China, Tang dynasty (618-907), early 7th century. Hollow dry lacquer with traces of gilt and polychrome pigment and gilding, 38 x 27 x 22 1/2 in. (96.5 x 68.6 x 57.1 cm). Rogers Fund, 1919 (19.186)

Hotspot Image 4 —Cambodia
Buddha (detail). Southern Cambodia, pre-Angkor period, mid-7th century. Sandstone, 39 1/2 x 12 x4 1/4 in. (100.3 x 30.5 x 10.8 cm). Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 1993 (1993.477.3)

Hotspot Image 5 — Indonesia
Standing Buddha (detail). Indonesia, Kalimantan, 7th-8th century CE. Bronze, 10 1/2 x 3 /14 x 2 1/4 in. (26.7 x 8.3 x 5.7 cm). Purchase, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Philanthropic Fund Gift, 1993 (1993.64)

Hotspot Image 6—Japan
Shaka (Shakyamuni), the Historical Buddha, with Two Attendant Bodhisattvas and Sixteen Benevolent Deities (detail). Japan, late 14th c. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, 55 x 26 in. (139.7 x 66 cm). Purchase, Sue Cassidy Clark Gift, in honor of Donald Keene, 2012 (2012.18)

Hotspot Image 7 —Korea
Standing Buddha (detail). Korea, Unified Silla dynasty (676-935), 9th c. Bronze, 9 3/8 in x 2 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. (23.8 x 6.4 x 2.9 cm). Seymour Fund, 1954 (54.106a, b).

Video

Clip 1: Clip of the pagoda of the Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, Japan. Video supplied by Traver Telly via Shutterstock.
Clip 2: Clip of the Golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar. Video Supplied by Komjomo via Getty Images.
Clip 3: Clip of the Borobudur Buddhist Temple in Java, Indonesia. Video supplied by BlackBoxGuild via Shutterstock.

 

Chapter Introduction — Where Can You Go (and When)?

Buddha Shakyamuni (detail). Tibet, 12th century. Brass with colored pigments, 15 1/2 in. x 10 7/16 x 8 5/8 in. (39.4 x 26.5 x 21.9 cm). Zimmerman Family Collection, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace, Oscar L. Tang, Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang and Annette de la Renta Gifts, 2012 (2012.458)

 

Hotspot Gallery— Browse All Dates and Locations 

Hotspot 1 — Past Becomes Present
The Past Buddha Dipankara. China, Northern Wei dynasty (386–534), dated 495. Sandstone with traces of pigment, 127 x 75 x 28 in. (322.6 x 190.5 x 71.1 cm).The Sackler Collections, Purchase, The Sackler Fund, 1965 (65.29.3)

Hotspot 2 — Present Perfect
Buddha Shakyamuni. Tibet, 12th century. Brass with colored pigments, 15 1/2 in. x 10 7/16 x 8 5/8 in. (39.4 x 26.5 x 21.9 cm). Zimmerman Family Collection, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace, Oscar L. Tang, Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang and Annette de la Renta Gifts, 2012 (2012.458)

Hotspot 3 — Look to the Future
The Future Buddha Maitreya (Mile). China, Northern Wei dynasty (386–534), dated 486. Gilt bronze with traces of pigment; piece-mold cast, 551⁄4 x 241⁄2 x 19 1/4 in. (140.3 x 62.2 x 48.9 cm). John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1926 (26.123)

 

Flip card Gallery — If you need help

Flip Card 1— The Lifeguard
Water-Moon Form of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (detail). Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 14th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, 451⁄16x 217⁄8 in. (114.5 x 55.6 cm). Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914 (14.76.6)

Flip Card 2— The Educator
Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom (detail). Nepal (Kathmandu Valley), Licchavi–Thakuri periods, 10th century. Copper alloy, 61⁄2 x 61⁄2 (Gift of Mr. and Mrs. A. Richard Benedek, 1978 (1978.394.1)

Flip Card 3 — The Commander
Fudō Myōō, The Immovable Wisdom King. Japan, early 13th century. Japanese cypress wood with lacquer, color, gold, cut gold leaf (kirikane), and inlaid crystal eyes, 21 x 211⁄2 in. (53.3 x 54.6 cm). Mary Griggs Burke Collection, 2015 (2015.300.252a, b)

Flip Card 4— The Defender
Mahakala, Protector of the Pavilion (detail). Central Tibet, ca. 1500. Distemper on cloth, 64 x 53 in. (162.6 x 134.6 cm). Zimmerman Family Collection, Gift of the Zimmerman Family, 2012 (2012.444.4)

 

 

Video

Hevajra Mandala (detail). 15th century, Tibet. Distemper on cloth, 21 1/2 × 17 1/2 in. (54.6 × 44.5 cm). Gift of Stephen and Sharon Davies Collection, 2015 (2015.551)

 

Chapter Introduction — Insider Insights, Secret Teachings

Buddha, Probably Amitabha (detail). Early 7th century. China. Dry lacquer with polychrome pigment and gilding, 38 x 27 x 22 1/2 in. (96.5 x 68.6 x 57.1 cm). Rogers Fund, 1919 (19.186)

 

Hotspot Gallery— Pure Land

Welcoming Descent of Amida Buddha and Twenty-five Bodhisattvas. Japan, 1668. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, 51 1/8 x 24 1/4 in. (129.9 x 61.6 cm). Bequest of Lettice Sands Phelps Stokes, 1988 (1989.359)

 

4 Corners— Zen

Northwest Corner—Look Inward
Kano Masanobu, Bodhidharma in Red Robes (detail). Japan, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, 35 7/8 × 17 5/8 in. (91.2 × 44.8 cm). Purchase, Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation and The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation Funds, and The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 2022 (2022.47)

Northeast Corner—Grappling with Paradox
Attributed to Zhiweng (Chinese, first half 13th century); inscribed by Yanxi Guangwen. Meeting between Yaoshan and Li Ao, (detail). Before 1256. Horizontal painting mounted as a hanging scroll; ink on paper, 12 1/2 x 33 1/4 in. (31.8 x 84.5 cm). Edward Elliott Family Collection, Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1982 (1982.2.1)

Southwest Corner—Shooting for the Moon
Gibbons in a Landscape (detail). Sesson Shukei (ca. 1504–ca. 1589). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573), ca. 1570. Pair of six-panel screens; ink on paper, 62 in. x 11 ft. 5 in. (157.5 x 348 cm). Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015. (1992.8.1, .2)

Southeast Corner—Pecking toward Enlightenment
Taiko Genju, Wagtail on a Rock, Japan, mid-14th c. Hanging scroll; ink on paper, 32 3/4 × 13 3/4 in. (83.2 × 34.9 cm). Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015 (2015.300.56)

 

Hotspot Gallery — Vajrayana

 Hevajra Mandala (detail). 15th century, Tibet. Distemper on cloth, 21 1/2 × 17 1/2 in. (54.6 × 44.5 cm). Gift of Stephen and Sharon Davies Collection, 2015 (2015.551) 

 

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Shadakshari Lokeshvara: Folio from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom). Early 12th century India, West Bengal or Bangladesh. Opaque watercolor on palm leaf,  2 3/4 x 16 7/16 in. (7 x 41.8 cm). Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2001 (2001.445a)