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.
Details
- Title : Figure of a Maitreya on a Tiered Pedestal
- Year : c. 1200
- Classification : Sculpture
- Medium : Gilded wood with polychrome
- Dimension : Overall: 21.3 x 14.6 cm (8 3/8 x 5 3/4 in.)
- Country/ Geo-location : Nepal
- Period : late 12th-early 13th century
- Collection : The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Credit Line : Gift of George P. Bickford 1972.220
- Status : On View 237 Himalayan
- Collection : Nepalese Art
- Department : Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Exhibition history : Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 27-March 18, 1973).