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The Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha of the Future

second half 17th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Maitreya, dressed as a god, resides in Tushita heaven. The kamandalu (waterpot) signals his ascetic nature and helps identify him. The sculpture is ascribed to the school of the Buddhist master and Mongolian artist Zanabazar, identified by the fifth Dalai Lama as an incarnation of the Tibetan scholar Taranatha (1575–1634) and ordained as the head lama of the Mongolian Gelug sect. The rendering of Maitreya’s lissome torso and clinging garment evince the style of Zanabazar’s fabled artistry.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha of the Future
  • Artist: School of Zanabazar (Mongolian, 1635–1723)
  • Date: second half 17th century
  • Culture: Mongolia
  • Medium: Gilt bronze, blue pigment, and traces of other pigments
  • Dimensions: H. 62 3/8 in. (158.5 cm); W. 21 1/2 in. (54.6 cm); D. 19 3/8 in. (49.3 cm); Weight 28 lbs. (12.7 kg)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by the Harvard Art Museums / Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John West, 1963
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art