Buddha with radiate halo and mandorla

Buddha with radiate halo and mandorla

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This portable shrine from the northern branch of the Central Asian Silk Road was probably the centerpiece of a three-part traveling shrine—a small triptych with doors. Two donors on the base venerate what appears to be a pot overflowing with vegetation. Such shrines for personal devotion traveled with merchants and pilgrims. While the Buddha, especially his hairstyle, can be related to Chinese imagery, the overall presentation of the figure and the combined halo and mandorla show connections to the Afghan and Gandharan visual tradition (see 48.66a, b).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Buddha with radiate halo and mandorlaBuddha with radiate halo and mandorlaBuddha with radiate halo and mandorlaBuddha with radiate halo and mandorlaBuddha with radiate halo and mandorla

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.