Crowned Buddha

PAKISTAN / INDIA

It is thought that this statue was created either in Gilgit or Kashmir in the first half of the 8th century. The statue is cast in brass except for the urna and eyes, which are inlaid with silver. All the jewelry on the statue as well as the pleats are inlaid with copper. These features derived from the Huvishkapura region that later strongly influenced the style of the Guge Empire (circa 10th–17th century).
The Buddha wears a five-pointed crown with hair intertwined with ribbons that fall down the shoulders. The figure has a round face, prominent urna, long curving eyebrows, large eyes, and long narrow nose. The elongated earlobes are adorned with large earrings. The Buddha has a collar necklace and a cape decorated with diamond-shaped jewels. The robe has a heavy texture and falls down to the abdomen in U-shaped folds. The Buddha is seated in full lotus position on a lotus throne and forms the Dharmacakra (Dharma wheel) mudra. The lotus throne is connected to a long stalk, which branches out on both sides to form lotuses supporting two stupas. Naga Kings emerge from the water between the stalks.
The base has a series of images separated by columns: a Dharma wheel, a pair of Dharma protectors, and two deer. Two royal figures, one male and the other female, stand on either side of the base. Kneeling figures with their palms joined are located at the bottom. An inscription in Sanskrit states the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sankarasena, and his wife, Princess Devasriya commissioned the sculpture in either 714 or 733, as an offering. It is assumed that the two royal figures represent Sankarasena and Devasriya.