Statuette of Bodhisattva

Art Historical Context

This delicate wooden statuette of a Bodhisattva, 12 inches (305 cm) tall, from early Ming dynasty China1368–1644), a period of cultural revival following the Mongol Yuan rule. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1928 and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Asian Art department, exemplifies the era's devotion to Buddhism, where such sculptures served as aids for meditation and worship in temples or homes. Bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who compassionately delay full Buddhahood to guide others, were central to Mahayana Buddhism prevalent in China. This figure reflects the Ming penchant for...