Dahai Temple: Maitreya Bodhisattva Niche

CHINA, Henan, Zhengzhou; Northern Wei dynasty

Maitreya sits at the center on a bench within a niche with ankles crossed and feet resting on a lotus support. The right hand is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra, while the left hand is in varada (gift granting) mudra. Flanking the Buddha are disciples and Bodhisattvas carved in relief on the niche wall. The inside of the niche serves as a mandorla and has elaborate details in bas-relief. A seated Buddha accompanied by four monks and four donors is illustrated within the ogee arch above the lintel. A congregation of figures listening to Maitreya’s teaching are within the spandrels.
On the back of the sculpture, Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna are seated together in niches with dragons below them. The lower portion has inscriptions and rows of donors in relief.