明弘治 三彩佛涅磐組像|Par nirvana (death and transcendence of the Buddha) and attendant arhats
dated 1503
Medium
Earthenware with polychrome glaze
Dimensions
H. 11 in. (27.9 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); D. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hongzhi period (1488–1505)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.227.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite earthenware sculpture, titled *Parinirvana (Death and Transcendence of Buddha) and Attendanthats*, was crafted by the renowned Ming potter Qiao Bin in1503 during the Hongzhi period (1488–1505) of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Standing just 11 inches tall, this compact group captures the Buddha in his final nirvana—reclining peacefully on his right side amid a circle of devoted arhats (enlightened disciples). The work's polychrome sancai glaze, featuring vibrant greens, ambers, and creams, evokes the luminous three-color glazes popularized in earlier Tang dynasty ceramics but mas...