Kurkihar: Crowned Buddha

INDIA, Bihar, Kurkihar; Pala period

This statue was discovered in Kurkihar. The Buddha has a squared face and a wide forehead upon which the sharply defined arcs of the eyebrows meet to run in a straight line down the bridge of the nose. The curved eyes and mouth are sharply defined. An ornate five pointed crown is decorated with cloud ornaments at the base, where elaborate floral rings hang.
The slender, idealized figure wears a translucent monastic robe which only becomes apparent after it falls from the arms to ripple about the calves. Both hands had Dharma wheels on the palms. Only the one on the left hand now remains. This hand grasps one end of the robe, while the other is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra.