Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni

Physical description

A seated Buddha with right hand in bhumisparsa mudra, touching the earth, denotes the moment before his Enlightenment when he called upon the Earth to witness his overcoming of the forces of Evil. Left hand on lap with palm upwards.

Place of Origin

India (Made)

Date

12th Century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Cast brass, inlaid with copper and silver.

Dimensions

Height: 9.5 cm, Width: 6.5 cm, Width: 79 cm, Diameter: 69 cm

Object history note

Purchased from Mrs. A.M.Stodart. Dug up near Congeeveram (the ancient Kanchi) in the Chengalpat district, Madras Presidency, 11th or 12th Century, having been buried probably in the 13th or 14th century.
Paper records say height is 115 cm.
"This finely modelled figure closely follows eastern India sculptural models of the late Pala period (c. 10th-12th century). It was reportedly excavated near Kancipuram, in Tamil Nadu, southern India, prior to 1917. There was considerable mobility of images in the Buddhist world; another Burmese sculpture has been excavated at Nagapattinam, a major Buddhist centre in coastal Tamil Nadu." John Guy.

Descriptive line

The crowned Buddha at Bodhgaya, cast brass, Bihar, Eastern India, 12th century.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Skelton, Robert and Mark Francis eds., Arts of Bengal, text by Robert Skelton, John Lowry, Andrew Topsfield, Veronica Murphy and Susan Stronge, London: Whitechapel Art Gallery 1979, p.27, no.15. ISBN 0 85488 047 X
Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni
Eastern India/ 12th century
Bronze inlaid with silver and copper/ 9.5cm high

As well as the larger stone images, which probably came from temples, many smaller ones were made for worship in private devotion such as this figure. It illustrates the richness and variety of technique and detail that were found in bronze sculpture during the Pala-Sena period (mid 8th to 12th century).

Exhibition History

Arts of Bengal (Whitechapel Art Gallery 30/12/1979-30/09/2011)

Production Note

Bihar, Eastern India

Subjects depicted

Buddhist

Categories

Sculpture; Buddhism

Collection code

SSEA