2-730-867 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Head of Buddha, early 800s. Serenity, tranquility, and compassion are expressively conveyed in the gently modeled, highly porous black stone of the volcanic island of Java. Borobudur, the massive, multitiered stone structure from which it came, still stands as one of the most impressive Buddhist monuments in the world. Concentric walkways with carved pilgrimage scenes lead up to vast terraces that originally had more than 500 life-size Buddha images, many of which still remain.