Search Results

Title

Descent of the River Ganges

Artist

Artist Unknown, India, Central India, Bundelkhand

Physical Description

In this intensely lyrical painting from Bundelkhand in Central India, the great river is shown tumbling from the night sky. Ascetics sit cross-legged on the mountainside, offering their austerities to Shiva, while women come to venerate Ganga. The river teems with life—crocodiles, turtles, fish, and birds—while lions, leopards, jackals, monkeys, and rabbits cavort on its banks.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

circa 1775

Accession Number

1979/1.148

Medium and Support

ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

album leaf

animals

ascetic

birds

deity

figures

lions

monk

monks

night

nudes

painting

river

river banks

river bed

rivers

seated

women

Title

Jina venerated by a monk, Harihara, Garuda, and Nandi from Digambara Jain manuscript

Artist

Artist Unknown, India, Sirohi School

Physical Description

A nude monk on the top left sits before a Jina at top right. Three Hindu gods, Harihara, Garuda, and Nandi venerate the Jina in the bottom registers.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

circa 18th century

Accession Number

1975/2.164

Medium and Support

ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

bull

bulls

deity

figures

manuscripts

monk

monsters

seated

winged

Title

Digambara Jain manuscript page: Jina venerated by a community of laymen

Artist

Artist Unknown, India, Sirohi School

Physical Description

Eight worshippers sit to the right of a sky-clad (nude) Jina and monk. They each raise beads in their hands. Below them a struggle is depicted. Two men in shorts wrestle, while a snake, tiger, and elephant rera up beside a fire.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

18th century

Accession Number

1975/2.169

Medium and Support

ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

deity

elephants

fire

jain

jainism

monk

snake

tiger

worshippers

Title

Jina venerated by a monk, men and women, a naga, and animals from a Digambara Jain manuscript

Artist

Artist Unknown, India, Sirohi School

Physical Description

A Jina is encircled by a giant halo of ref, green, blue, gold, and white. Within the halo are different creatures, including a tiger, bird, naga, and devotees. The Jina sits nude on a throne with his legs crossed and hands together. Above him are clouds in the sky, and below a monk and devotees.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

circa 18th century

Accession Number

1975/2.170

Medium and Support

ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

bird

deity

kettles

monk

tigers

Title

Jain Tirthankara and a monk with animal forest scene, no. 12 from a Digambara series

Artist

Artist Unknown, India, Sirohi School

Physical Description

Two distinct registers divide a page in half. At the top, a yellow-orange colored nude jina sits in lotus position upon a three tiered throne [a patterned blue level at the bottom on feet, with an orange section with gold and red decoration and a green level at the top with gold vertical stripes]. He sits against a red background adorned with a pattern of three white dots. The background takes the shape of an elegant cusped arch with a green and white pattern along its outside with a gold pattern at its sides. To the right of the seated figure a nude Digambara monk sits with his legs folded and one knee up on a less elaborate throne with a lota or pot at the corner and a crossed bookstand to the side holding a book with some devanagari writing on it. He raises his right arm and holds his left to his ear.

Placed under a band of curving yellow stripes, the bottom register represents animals in a landscape. At the bottom are clumps of grass with four stylized mountain forms in blue at the right. Above the mountains stands a tiger facing a family of antelope striding towards him. The family consists of the blue male with his long spiraling horns and a yellow doe below him with a flesh-colored in front of her. Another small yellow fawn takes up the rear. Clumps of light blue and green grasses fill in the background.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

18th century

Accession Number

1975/2.178

Medium and Support

ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

antelopes

book

deer

deity

does

grass (plant material)

jainism

kettles

landscapes (environments)

men

monk

mountains

nudes

pot

tiger

Title

Buddhist Monk with begging bowl

Artist

Artist Unknown, Japan

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

18th century

Accession Number

1979/2.81

Medium and Support

hanging scroll fragment (framed), ink and color on silk

Primary Keywords

buddhism

damaged

monk

portrait

Title

Phra Malai (The Monk)

Artist

Artist Unknown, Thailand

Physical Description

Gilt bronze statue of monk with a begging bowl over his shoulder. This is Phra Malai, who achieved extraordinary powers through his accumulated merit and was able to visit numerous hells and heavens and then travel back to report on what he had seen. Phrai Malai has elongated ears and stands on a wooden base wearing a detailed robe.

Century

19th- early 20th century

Object Creation Date

19th century - early 20th century

Accession Number

2005/1.453

Medium and Support

gilt bronze

Primary Keywords

bronze (metal)

buddhism

monk

thai

Title

Kneeling Monk Devotee (one of a pair)

Artist

Artist Unknown, Thailand

Physical Description

Kneeling statue of Buddhist monk devotee Mogallana or Shariputra on a pedestal with round face, hair in tight curls, elongated ears, and hands placed together in mediatation. The pedestal is decorated with lotus petals, and the devotee wears an intricate, close-fitting robe.

Century

19th-20th century

Object Creation Date

1800-1932

Accession Number

2005/1.455.1

Medium and Support

lacquered and gilded copper alloy

Primary Keywords

..., buddhist

buddhism

copper alloy

devotee

lacquer and lacquering

monk

pair

Title

Kneeling Monk Devotee (one of a pair)

Artist

Artist Unknown, Thailand

Physical Description

Kneeling statue of Buddhist monk devotee Mogallana or Shariputra on a pedestal with round face, hair in tight curls, elongated ears, and hands placed together in mediatation. The pedestal is decorated with lotus petals, and the devotee wears an intricate, close-fitting robe.

Century

19th-20th century

Object Creation Date

1800-1932

Accession Number

2005/1.455.2

Medium and Support

lacquered and gilded copper alloy

Primary Keywords

..., buddhist

buddhism

copper alloy

copper alloys

devotee

lacquer and lacquering

monk

pair

Title

Portrait of an Rölpai Dorje (1717–1786), Lama of the Seal

Artist

Tibet

Physical Description

A painting in ink, mineral pigments, and gold on paper. The painting would have originally been framed in concentric strips of silk, but the silk has been trimmed and the painting placed in a Western-style frame.

Century

18th century

Object Creation Date

1736-1795

Accession Number

2001/1.353

Medium and Support

ink, mineral pigments, and gold on paper

Primary Keywords

buddhism

deities

himalayan

landscapes (environments)

monk

portrait

teachers

vajrayana

Title

Portrait of an unidentified Tibetan lama (teacher)

Artist

Artist Unknown, Tibet or Nepal

Physical Description

A very finely hollow cast bronze portrait sculpture of a seated figure, with the lotus dais and pointed monk's cap cast in one piece with the figure.

The monk is shown seated in the padmasana (lotus) pose, with each foot resting sole-upward on the opposite knee. In his right hand, he holds a vajra (a double-pronged scepter) and simultaneously makes the vitarka gesture for teaching. His left hand, resting on his lap, holds a bell. His costume consists of a dhoti, which is knotted high on his torso; a short-sleeved shirt, crossed over his chest and decorated with incised scroll patterns, with a fret design at the border; and an overrobe that wraps around his left shoulder and is draped over his right shoulder. His face has a broad forehead, incised eyebrows in a high arch; downcast eyes, with leaf-shaped upper eyelids; a broad, flat nose; a sweet smile and full lips; and a narrow chin. His tall, pointed monk's cap, which completely hides his hair, has flaps that spread to reach his upper arms.

Accession Number

1995/1.57

Medium and Support

bronze

Primary Keywords

bells (idiophones)

buddhism

himalayan

lotus

monk

portrait

Title

An imaginary portrait of the Tibetan monk and scholar Go Lotsawa (1392–1481)

Artist

Workshop Unknown, Tibet or Nepal

Century

18th-19th century

Object Creation Date

18th century - 19th century

Accession Number

1972/2.347

Medium and Support

ink on silk?

Primary Keywords

buddhism

himalayan

monk

portrait

vajrayana

Title

Yungdron Dorje Pal (1284–1365) subduing a wrathful demon while attended by a meditation deity, Mahakala and other monks.

Artist

Workshop Unknown, Tibet or Nepal

Physical Description

A portable painting done in ink and gouache on loose-weave, primed cotton, surround by two strips of fabric. This painting has suffered greatly from water damage, running the pigments together.

Century

18th-20th century

Object Creation Date

1700-1750

Accession Number

1973/1.719

Medium and Support

ink and gouache on cotton

Primary Keywords

damage

deity

himalayan

monk

portrait

vajrayana