Buddha Shakyamuni

Late 9th-early 10th century

India, Bihar

Schist

H. 28 1/4 x W. 17 3/4 x D. 7 1/4 in. (71.8 x 45.1 x 18.4 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.37

Provenance

John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired from Isidor Kahane, Dobbs Ferry, New York, October 1968.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY, 1979.

Licensing inquiries

This image of the Buddha makes the earth-touching gesture (bhumisparsha mudra) with his right hand and the gesture of meditation with his left. Together, these two gestures signify the moment when the Buddha-to-be overcame the forces of the demon Mara and reached down to call the earth goddess (represented below holding a water pot) to witness his right to achieve enlightenment. Branching out above the Buddha are leaves which symbolize the bodhi tree under which he sat and meditated before his enlightenment. Flanking the Buddha are two bodhisattvas, Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara, who stand to his right and left respectively and are identifiable by the different types of lotuses they hold.