On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Four Leaves from a Gandavyuha Manuscript
This early Mahayana text recounts the devotee Sudhana’s search for ultimate truth. On his quest, he meets many teachers and bodhisattvas, including the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, shown in the second leaf. The style is distinctly Nepalese, especially in its saturated, solid backgrounds and omission of secondary details. The manuscript lacks wear, suggesting it was not read but instead created to generate merit and to be revered as an object imbued with doctrinal power.
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