Plaque of the Head of Miroku Bosatsu

1 in. x 11 1/2 in. (diameter) (2.54 cm x 29.21 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• bodhisattvas - Superhuman beings of infinite wisdom and compassion; Buddhist saints who, having only one birth to undergo before attaining Nirvana, consent to be reborn for the sake of suffering mankind. In Mahayana Buddhism, the spiritual ideal. In Theravada Buddhism, the term is exclusively used to identify historical Buddhas in their previous lives.
• bronzes - Collectively, the class of sculptures, containers, or other objects executed in bronze, especially artifacts or works considered to be art. When possible, use the material term "bronze (metal)" plus a more specific object name, such as "bronze" + "figurines" or "bronze" + "bowl."
• Buddhism - Refers to the philosophy and religion based on the enlightenment and teachings of the Buddha Gautama in the early sixth century BCE in the northeastern region of modern India. Playing dominant roles in the art and culture of Southeast Asia and East Asia, this religion is based on the transcendence of human suffering and pain through the acceptance of the limitations of individuality, the surrender of worldly desires and cravings that cause disappointment and sorrow, and the deliverance from the impermanence of living and individual ego based on wealth, social position, or family through the process of enlightenment (nirvana). The religion also centers around 'anatman', or no-self, the idea that the self is in a state of action or a series of changing manifestations rather than in a state of fixed, metaphysical substance. The structure of the religion is based on the Triratna ("Three Jewels" of Buddha), a tripartite schematic for living based on three elements: Buddha (the teacher), dharma (the teaching), and sangha (community).
• Japanese - Nationality, periods, cultures, and styles found in Japan, either in historical times or in the present.
• plaques - Flat, thin, usually small objects, made of metal, clay, ivory, glass, or basketry, sometimes set into a surface for decoration or to bear an inscription.
• religion and mythology

This object is a member of the following portfolios: