This book introduces this complex visual tradition to a general audience by examining sixty seminal works. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020.įor more than 2,000 years, sublime works of art have been created to embody essential aspects of Buddhist thought, which developed and evolved as its practice spread from India to East Asia and beyond. Initially the emphasis was on devotional statues of the historical Buddha, as well as detailed scenes in relief of his life and former lives, but as the Buddhist pantheon developed, devotional images of bodhisattvas and other figures became common subjects in themselves in Northern Buddhist art, and by the late first millennium came to predominate. It developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. As Buddhism spread and evolved in each new host country, Buddhist art followed in its footsteps. Buddhist art originated in the north of the Indian subcontinent, in modern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the earliest survivals dating from a few centuries after the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama from the 6th to 5th century BCE.

Visual & Material Culture: Southeast Asia & Sri Lankaīuddhist visual and material culture includes depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, and physical objects associated with Buddhist practice, such as vajras, bells, stupas and Buddhist temple architecture.Visual & Material Culture: Central Asia.Visual & Material Culture Toggle Dropdown.Tibet: Contemporary Masters & Teachings.

Malleable Māra by Michael D. Nichols