Mathura: Buddha and Attendants

INDIA, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura

Discovered in Katra, Mathura, this is a rare, well-preserved artwork in the Mathura style. The Buddha’s hair is twisted into a coil and the eyes stare alertly ahead. There is an urna above the meeting eyebrows. The monastic robe covers only the left shoulder and is so thin that the outline of the body can clearly be seen beneath. The entire robe is plain without folds except around the left shoulder, where it is uniquely pleated, and under the crossed legs. The right hand is in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra and has a Dharma wheel on the palm. The Buddha is seated in full lotus position upon a lion throne.
The head is encircled by a nimbus with only a scalloped design at the edge. Flanking the Buddha are two Bodhisattvas whose bodies curve sinuously away from the central figure. Both Bodhisattvas wear decorated headdresses and hold a whisk over their shoulder. The space above them is occupied by the branches of a Bodhi tree. Above it, two apsaras fly towards the treetop scattering flowers.
Along the upper and lower edges of the throne, there are inscriptions in Kharosthi script that appear to identify the central figure as a Bodhisattva, although it is plainly Sakyamuni. This is common in sculptures from the early Mathura period.