The Birth of the Buddha
Unknown Artist
18th–19th century
Medium
Mosaic set in a gilt-silver framework with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, garnets, quartz, pearls, amber, coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and semiprecious stones
Dimensions
14 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (36.8 x 31.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture
Nepal
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1915
Accession Number
15.95.163
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection, *The Birth of the Buddha is a stunning 18th–19th-century Nepalese masterpiece by an unknown artist. This small yet opulent mosaic (14½ × 12¼ in.) captures the miraculous birth of Siddharthaama, the future Buddha, a pivotal moment in Buddhist cosmology. Typically depicted as Queen Maya giving birth painlessly under a sal tree—with deities like Brahma in attendance—the scene symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and divine, resonating deeply in Himalayan Buddhist traditions. Crafted as a mosaic set within a gilt-silver framework, the...