Seated Buddha

CHINA; Tang dynasty

This Buddha is seated in full lotus position with his right hand in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. Between the hair and the mounded usnisa there is a gem. The opened monastic robe reveals a broad-hemmed inner robe that has a lotus in the center. Fabric cascades over the throne in a series of carefully delineated folds. There is a short inscription on the lower part of the piece stating the Xu family sculpted the statue. This seems to indicate the existence of a professional workshop with a distinctive style of its own.
The statue is overtly different from the Sui dynasty (581–618) style, but lacks the broad shoulders and robust body of the High Tang period (712–756). It is more of a new style created during the Early Tang period (618–712).