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The Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future

11th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252
Maitreya, the messianic bodhisattva characterized as the Buddha of the Future, stands in a graciously exaggerated posture, the body beautifully counterbalanced. He holds his raised hand in the gesture of exposition (vitarka mudra) and in his lowered hand displays a flask (kamandalu) universally understood in South Asian culture as the container of amrta, the elixir of life. In a Buddhist setting, the flask is understood as the promise of Maitreya’s coming. The elegant aesthetics of this sculpture embody contemporary eastern Indian Pala styles, yet it displays a startling elegance combined with an almost austere economy of surface decoration: jewelry is restrained, textile patterns minimally suggested. The scale is exceptional, as is the aesthetic sensibility of the artist responsible for this work.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future
  • Period: Thakuri period
  • Date: 11th century
  • Culture: Nepal
  • Medium: Copper alloy with gilding and color
  • Dimensions: H. 26 in. (66 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (20.9 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.220.12
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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The Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future - Nepal - Thakuri period - The Metropolitan Museum of Art