Buddha Triad

CHINA; Eastern Wei dynasty

The Buddha forms the abhaya (fearlessness) and varada (wish-granting) mudras with large hands, and wears a stylized monastic robe with neatly carved folds. The two flanking Bodhisattvas wear inner and outer robes. The latter passes through a ring at the front. The two figures have long, thin nimbuses with a petal-shape tip. The Buddha’s ornate nimbus has a lotus at the center followed by concentric circles, and scrolling vines on the outer rim. Seven Buddhas surround the outer ring of the nimbus. A plant design separates the three figures, while an image of a tree is located at the very top. All these elements are within a petal-shaped mandorla.