唐 彩繪石雕阿難陀像（石灰岩）|Monk, probably Ananda (Anantuo)

Art Historical Context

This striking limestone sculpture depicts a serene monk, likely Anandaknown as Anantuo in), one of the Buddha's closest disciples and his cousin. Carved in 8th-century Tang dynasty China (618–907), a golden age for Buddhist art, the figure stands nearly life-size at 69 inches tall, exuding calm dignity with gently flowing robes and a contemplative gaze. Gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1952 by A. W. Bahr in memory his wife, it exemplifies the era's masterful stone carving from northern Chinese workshops. Tang sculptures like this one revolutionized Buddhist iconography, blending India...