Buddha Shakyamuni with attendant bodhisattvas
Not on view
This extraordinary group is a rare example of Buddhist sculpture made in China using mammoth ivory as opposed to elephant ivory. Based on a text known as the Flower Garland Sutra, it depicts the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni, seated on a mythical animal known as a qilin and attended by the bodhisattvas Samantabhadhra (Chinese: Puxian) on an elephant and Manjushri (Chinese: Wenshu) on a lion. The former symbolizes virtuous practice, the later wisdom.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
