Seated Buddha
Gilt bronze
Seated Buddha
CHINA; Later Zhao dynasty
An inscription on the back of the statue dates the piece to 338, making it the earliest known dated Buddha image from China. This serves as a dating benchmark for other Buddha sculptures from the same period.
The Buddha has a high usnisa and hair parted at the center. The figure sits cross-legged and wears a monastic robe that covers both shoulders. The garment falls in orderly folds to the base, in a manner reminiscent of the Gandharan style with the ends draped over the arms. The hands are joined in a variation of the dhyana (meditation) mudra, with palms facing inward. The three holes at the front of the base may have been used to attach an incense burner and two lions.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture N-Sr, page 995.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture N-Sr},
pages = 995,
title = {{Seated Buddha}},
volume = 12,
year = {2016}}