Crowned Buddha
Unknown Artist
9th century
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
H. 20 3/8 in. x W. 9 in. (51.8cm x 22.9 cm); D. (from hands) 3 in. (7.6 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
India, Ancient kingdom of Kashmir
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ben Heller, 1970
Accession Number
1970.297
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Crowned Buddha*, a 9th-century brass from the ancient kingdom of in northern India. Standing at 20⅜ inches tall, this elegant figure captures the serene wisdom of the Buddha, adorned with a regal crown that signifies divine kingship and enlightenment. Crafted in the Asian Art collection of the Metropolitan Museum of—a generous gift from Ben Heller in 1970—it exemplifies the region's mastery of metalwork during a golden age of Buddhist art. In 9th-century Kashmir, Hindu-Buddhist dynasties, such sculptures flourished amid cultural exchange along the Silk Road. The brass medium, like...