Buddha Triad

CHINA; Northern Wei dynasty

The long neck and sloping shoulders accentuate the slenderness of the Buddha standing at the center of this carving. The hands and feet seem disproportionately large compared with the rest of the body. The right hand is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra while the left hand holds a vase. The monastic robe has detailed folds, depicted by incised lines, and the lower section spreading outwards. The oval nimbus has an outer border of Buddha images enclosing the lotus petals that surround the head.
Two smaller Bodhisattvas standing on lotus pedestals, with Dharma protecting lions at their feet, flank the Buddha. The Bodhisattvas have petal-shaped nimbuses with a flame pattern inside. The figure on Buddha’s right has the head inclined and holds a jewel and a vase in separate hands. The other Bodhisattva holds a jewel with both hands. The mandorla enclosing the trio is incised with apsaras and surrounded by flames.
The inscription at the back relates that Shang Qi and his family commissioned the sculpture. The somewhat plain style is typical of northern Hebei during the late Northern Wei dynasty (386–534).