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Enthroned Buddha Attended by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani

second half of the 10th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 247
This ensemble, consisting of seven separately cast pieces, is one of the most elaborate of known surviving Javanese bronzes. The central figure, his hands raised in teaching the dharma, can be identified either as Shakyamuni, the hist­orical Buddha, or as Vairocana, his transcendent manifestation. The lion emerging from the center of the main base refers to the Buddha’s clan name. Seated on the left is Avalokiteshvara, supported by his vehicle the calf-bull Nandin, and on the right is Vajrapani, accompanied by his mount, a makara (mythical crocodile-elephant hybrid). The figures’ slender prop­ortions and angular features mark this triad as a product of the Early Eastern Javanese period.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Enthroned Buddha Attended by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani
  • Period: early Eastern Javanese period
  • Date: second half of the 10th century
  • Culture: Indonesia (Java)
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); W. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund and Gift of Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, Theresa Sackler and Family, 2004
  • Object Number: 2004.259
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 7913. Trinity with a Preaching Buddha Flanked by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani

7913. Trinity with a Preaching Buddha Flanked by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani

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