Bodhisattva Maitreya

late 8th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This figure is from the same hoard as cat. nos. 139, 141, and 142. As expected, the hoard included objects from different sources, ranging in date from the late seventh century to the first half of the ninth. The large eighth-century images form a broadly coherent group, of which the Avakoliteshvara and two Maitreyas stand out as among the most important Southeast Asian bronzes of their age. All the bodhisattvas belong to a Buddhist ascetic tradition. They are completely unadorned, clad in short waistcloths secured with a simple cord. The only ornamentation is the complex binding of the long braids of hair that gives an appearance of richness.

cat. no. 140

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bodhisattva Maitreya
  • Period: Pre-Angkor period (ca. 6th–early 9th century)
  • Date: late 8th century
  • Culture: Northeastern Thailand
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 48 1/4 in. (122.5 cm); W. 20 1/16 in. (51 cm); D. 12 3/8 in. (31.5 cm);
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Purchased by Kimbell Art Foundation, 1965 (AP 1965.01)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art