figure (ritual & belief: representations)

Gilt bronze figure of Buddha Amitayus ('Tsepa Me'). Oval pedestal with double inverted and carved lotus flowers, beaded upper rim, lower rim a band. Buddha seated in half lotus position, clothed in jewellery and royal robes flowing behind arms and back. Hands with thumbs touching join in lap, plams upward, holding vase, kalasha, containing the elixir of immortality, amrita. Eyes, lips and eyebrows painted blue, red and black respectively. Hair painted black. Elongated earlobes, intricately carved earrings reach below shoulders. Large, heavily decorative three-sided crown with painted red jewels. High protuberance, ushnisha, on top of head.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk