Figure of a Maitreya on a Tiered Pedestal
Unknown Artist
c. 1200
Medium
gilded wood with polychrome
Dimensions
21.3 × 14.6 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of George P. Bickford
Accession Number
1972.220
About this artwork
The pendant legs of this image indicate that he is the next historical figure to achieve enlightenment and spread Buddhist teachings in a future time when the current historical Buddha's teachings will have been forgotten. Nepalese artists were famous for their skill in woodcarving. Since wood is scarce in Tibet, Nepalese woodworkers were invited to import materials and work in wealthy Tibetan monasteries and palaces and were important transmitters of styles and iconographies.