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Model of the Mahabodhi Temple

12th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 238
Models of the temple at Bodhgaya, where the Buddha reached enlightenment, have been found in Tibet, Nepal, Burma, and across north India. This model gives a sense of the temple and its exterior imagery. By the twelfth century, the temple and the image it contained were the focus of devotion rather than the Bodhi tree, here relegated to a place behind the tower on the second story.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Model of the Mahabodhi Temple
  • Period: Pala period
  • Date: 12th century
  • Culture: India, Bihar
  • Medium: Quartz-muscovite-chlorite-talc phyllite
  • Dimensions: H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); W. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); D. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of John and Fausta Eskenazi, 2006
  • Object Number: 2006.218
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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