Images

This head belongs to a jina ("conqueror" or "liberator"), a Jain saint who severed the chain of rebirth and achieved a state of omniscience known as nirvana. Jains believe that there have been 24 jinas, each of whom is known as a tirthankara...

This sculpture represents the Buddha on the verge of enlightenment responding to the challenge of the demon Mara. Mara, who profits from chaos and suffering in the world, questioned the Buddha's right to become enlightened. Disturbed from...

This jar dates from the 26th century BCE and is made of earthenware with pigments. It was made by the Majiayao Yangshao culture during the Banshan phase (c. 2655-2330 BCE). (Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University...

A 7th century CE mosaic depicting the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV (r. 668-685 CE) and entourage in the basilica of Sant'Apollinare, in Classe, Ravenna, Italy.

Pair of silver dogs wearing hatched collars from the 3rd-2nd millennium BCE originating in Bactria in Central Asia. The dogs are 1.5 inches (4 cm) long with a vertical hole through each. It is thought they may have been worn as pendants on...

The mound is located in the Polish city of Krakow. According to legend, the mound was built as a tomb of the legendary Prince Krakus (6-7th century CE), the founder of the city.

Sarcophagus from the imperial cemetery beside the Church of the Holy Apostles. Material: Marble. Period: Early Byzantine; circa early 5th century CE. Findspot: Sariguzel/Fatih, Istanbul. (Istanbul Archaeological Museums)

This is a wooden statue of Tamonten — one of the Four Deva Kings (Shitenno) and a guardian of Buddhist teaching. This statue can be seen at the Daibutsuden or Great Buddha Hall of the Todaiji temple complex in Nara, Japan.

This is the wooden façade of the Daibutsuden or Great Buddha Hall of the Todaiji Temple Complex in Nara, Japan. Founded in 738 CE and officially opened in 752 CE when Nara was the capital, the temple is the headquarters of the Buddhist Kegon...

This is the ornate roof of the Daibutsuden or Great Buddha Hall of the Todaiji Temple Complex in Nara, Japan. Founded in 738 CE and officially opened in 752 CE when Nara was the capital, the temple is the headquarters of the Buddhist Kegon...