Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History


    • Head of a bodhisattva, 5th–6th century
    Afghanistan, probably from Hadda
    Clay or terracotta, garnet

    H. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm), W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm), D. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)
    Purchase, 1986 (1986.2)

    This bodhisattva head gives a sense of the high level of refinement that Afghan artists achieved in this medium. Thin layers of clay were added over a core to build up the face; traces of the final coat are visible on the cheek and forehead. The curls of hair at the top were likewise applied separately to a substructure, part of which is visible. The inset garnet eyes, an extremely rare feature, give the image great presence, as does the idealized yet naturalistic treatment of the face.

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    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • Kossak, Steven. "The Arts of South and Southeast Asia." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 51, no. 4 (Spring, 1994).
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    Head of a bodhisattva, 5th–6th century
    Afghanistan, probably from Hadda
    Clay or terracotta, garnet

    H. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm), W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm), D. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)
    Purchase, 1986 (1986.2)


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