Buddhism: Stories and Symbols
March 3, 2014
This exhibition, drawn from local private collections, provides an overview of popular Buddhist iconography and iconology from a variety of Asian cultures and time periods. Works from China, Japan, Tibet, Thailand, Cambodia and other parts of Asia illustrate important moments from the life of the Buddha,
lakshanas
or physical marks of a Buddha, and
mudras
or hand gestures and their meanings.
One of several major religions to develop in south Asia, Buddhism has had a profound impact for almost 2,500 years. Buddhism is based on the teachings of prince-turned-philosopher, Siddhartha Gautama, known simply as the Buddha (“enlightened one”). Buddhism as a belief system is far from monolithic, and today there are hundreds of types of Buddhism.
