Head of a Bodhisattva
This head belonged to an attendant bodhisattva that was carved into the back wall of Cave 21 at Tianlongshan, a small complex consisting of twenty-four cave shrines and a wooden temple, located about twenty-five miles southwest of Taiyuan, in Shanxi province. Construction of Tianlongshan’s cave shrines began in the six century and continued until the early eighth century, and it was sponsored throughout by the imperial families of the Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, and Tang dynasties.
Artwork Details
- 唐 彩繪石雕菩薩頭像
- Title: Head of a Bodhisattva
- Period: Tang dynasty (618–907)
- Date: ca. early 8th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Sandstone with pigment
- Dimensions: H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm); W. 8 in. (20.3 cm); D. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, 1942
- Object Number: 42.25.12
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
China
ca. 550–560
China
early 7th century
China
dated 524 (5th year of Zhengguang reign)
Cambodia or Vietnam
mid-7th century
Cambodia
third quarter of the 10th century
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
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 complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.