Cleveland Museum of Art

Adoring Monk

Date

early 500s

Medium

gilt bronze

Culture

China, Northern Wei dynasty (386-534)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Portable Buddhist figures and objects like this gilt bronze had a variety of uses. They could have been carried in religious processions. Others could serve as donations, souvenirs, or votive items in the context of pilgrimages to religious sites. Their miniature size also made them appropriate for placement on private altars or shrines for personal devotion. The monk stands with his hands together in a reverent greeting.

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