The Bodhisattva Maitreya
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Kushan
- Made in: Gandhara (historic - Pakistan); Pakistan
- Date: 2ndC-3rdC
- Object type: figure
- Materials: schist
- Museum number: 1880.72
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is The Bodhisattva Maitreya, a beautifully carved figure from the Kushan culture, dating to the 2nd to 3rd century. The artwork was made in Gandhara, an ancient region in present-day Pakistan, and reflects the distinctive style of the Gandhara School. The figure stands in a serene pose with beautifully detailed robes, known as the uttarīya and paridhāna, draped with intricate folds and patterns. His facial features include delicate eyes, a curling moustache, and a prominent brow that leads into stylized curls in his hair.
Rich jewelry accompanies the figure, including intricate earrings, necklaces, and an armlet with a damaged relief of a figure seated on a lion. The sculpture is carved from schist and captures the grace and spiritual calm of a bodhisattva in a moment of divine presence.
See it in person
The Bodhisattva Maitreya is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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