Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future

India (Jammu and Kashmir) or Pakistan (Swat Valley)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 237

The messianic savior Maitreya is identified by the flask he holds in his lower hand. He is seated in a yogic posture on a double-lotus cushion and extends spiritual protection to believers with his raised hand, here displayed with the palm facing inwards, not outwards as is conventional. This icon has a superbly preserved metal surface, complete with silver inlay on the eyes and forehead mark (urna). The raised ornamentation reflects an awareness of Gupta design. The figure and base were cast separately, and the lotus base is inscribed on the reverse with a donor dedication.

Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, Bronze inlaid with silver, India (Jammu and Kashmir) or Pakistan (Swat Valley)

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Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, Bronze inlaid with silver, India (Jammu and Kashmir) or Pakistan (Swat Valley)
Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, Bronze inlaid with silver, India (Jammu and Kashmir) or Pakistan (Swat Valley)
Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, Bronze inlaid with silver, India (Jammu and Kashmir) or Pakistan (Swat Valley)

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