De bodhisattva Maitreya

Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, will appear during the following world cycle and rule an earthly paradise as successor to the Buddha. At present he is still in his heaven, awaiting his descent to earth. This figure comes from Longmen, a complex of Buddhist temples carved from the living rock. The fine stylization of the drapery and the facial features are typical of sculpture from this site.