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Figure of a Maitreya on a Tiered Pedestal
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFigure of a Maitreya on a Tiered Pedestal, c. 1200. Nepal. Gilded wood with polychrome; overall: 21.3 x 14.6 cm (8 3/8 x 5 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of George P. Bickford, 1972.220
