Standing Buddha
Artist/Culture
Tamil Nādu
(India)
Artist/Culture
Nagapattinam
Artist/Culture
South Indian
Date1100s
Mediumbronze
Dimensions23.2 cm (9 1/8 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1934.28
DescriptionSmall cast metal image of the Buddha with an ushnisha (cranial protuberance) surmounted by a flame-like ornament, upright posture, lotus pedestal, and left hand in the downward open gesture of generosity. The right hand is raised in the gesture of abhaya mudra, symbolizing protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear. The body is revealed, beneath parallel incisions of the drapery folds, while the sides of the mantle fall asymmetrically from the shoulders. High level of technical competence in casting; simplification of general lines; shortened proportions of the body; large, round face with wide open almond-shaped eyes; low forehead; flattened hair curls; lotus throne with pearl-like ornamentation.Label TextThis work is an example of the combination of different early regional styles of Buddhist art in India. It maintains the iconographic features of earlier south Indian Buddhist tradition—the ushnisha, or cranial protuberance, surmounted by a flame-like ornament, the upright posture, the lotus pedestal, and the preference for the left hand to be extended downward in the open gesture of generosity. The right hand is raised in the gesture symbolizing protection and the dispelling of fear. Its style also shows the impact of the earlier classical Buddha ideal of the north Indian Gupta period (320–550 CE). The body is revealed beneath the parallel incisions of the drapery folds, while the sides of the mantle fall asymmetrically from the shoulders.ProvenanceHeeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY
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