Flying Celestial Figure

6th–7th century

Not on view

These winged celestial beings show remarkable connections to the Western classical tradition. From comparable examples we know that these male figures were represented as flying down from the heavens to attend a Buddhist divinity.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Flying Celestial Figure
Period: Khotan Kingdom
Date: 6th–7th century
Culture: China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region)
Medium: Stucco with color
Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 4 in. (15.9 x 10.2 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930
Object Number: 30.32.14
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Flying Celestial Figure, Stucco with color, China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region) — Flying Celestial Figure
China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region)
6th–7th century

Swords with Scabbard Mounts, Iron, bronze, gold, silver, wood, Chinese — Swords with Scabbard Mounts
Chinese
ca. 600

Damascus Room, Wood (poplar) with gesso relief, gold and tin leaf, glazes and paint; wood (cypress, poplar, and mulberry), mother-of-pearl, marble and other stones, stucco with glass, plaster ceramic tiles, iron, brass — Damascus Room
dated 1119 AH/1707 CE

Element from a Lacquered Leather Cuirass, Lacquered leather, Yi or Nuosu (Chinese, Yunnan or Sichuan) — Element from a Lacquered Leather Cuirass
Yi or Nuosu (Chinese, Yunnan or Sichuan)
900–1400

Satyresses and satyr children, Clodion (Claude Michel) French, Stucco, French, Paris — Satyresses and satyr children
Clodion (Claude Michel)
ca. 1781

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.