Akshobhya, the Transcendent Buddha of the East

A small bronze figure of a seated Buddha wears a tall crown and a flowing garment, his left hand resting in his lap and his right hand raised near the shoulder. He sits on a pedestal of elephants above a lotus-petal base, and the dark surface shows wear and patina.

Look closer: Small elephants form the pedestal supporting the seated figure.

Artist

Unknown

Date

9th century

Medium

Bronze with silver and copper overlays

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

1600 × 2000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Friends of Far Eastern Art Gifts, 1985