Images

This votive of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future as a bodhisattva, dates from the early 6th century CE during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it is made of chalkstone. It comes from the Longmen Cave Temples in China's Henan province. (Museum...

This standing bodhisattva made of Sandstone comes from Cave 14 from the renown temples of Tianlongshan in China's Shanxi province. The influence from Greco-Roman art as well as South Asian art is palpable. It was made during the Tang Dynasty...

This basket made of wickerwork dates from c. 1100-800 BCE and comes from a former pile-dwelling settlement near Zürich, Switzerland. (Landesmuseum, Zürich).

Gigaku is a masked drama performed to music. It was introduced to Japan from China and Korea in the 600s CE and was staged at the court and in Buddhist temples. The mask maybe for the character Taikoji, a youth. Or, perhaps it was used by...

This lovely relief-carved ewer comes from China's Shaanxi province and the Yaozhou kilns. It was made during the Five Dynasties Era (c. 907-960 CE). (Museum Rietberg, Zürich).

This beautiful gourd-shaped ewer and cover comes from China's Yue kilns, which were in Zhejiang province. They were made during the era of the Northern Song Dynasty, around c. 11-12th centuries CE. (Museum Rietberg, Zürich).

This Buddhist votive stele made from chalkstone comes from China's Shanxi province, and it dates from c. 520 CE during the era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. (Museum Rietberg, Zürich)

This figurine of a reclining water buffalo comes from northern China. It was created during the period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, c. 2nd-3rd centuries CE. (Museum Rietberg, Zürich).

These wild horses carved onto reindeer antler date from c. 13000 BCE. It is one of the oldest figurative depictions found in what is present-day Switzerland. The perforated antler baton may have been used as a scepter or may have served as...

This collection of rich Alemanni grave goods dates from c. 550 CE, and it was found on Bäckerstrasse in what is present-day Zurich, Switzerland. Of particular note are the bird-shaped brooches made of gold with almadine (gemstone) inlay...