Buddha Pentad

CHINA; Eastern Wei dynasty

The main statue, the Buddha, has a high usnisa incised with curls and wears a monastic robe over sloping shoulders. The left hand is held open in varada (wish-granting) mudra while the broken right hand was most likely raised in the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. The figure stands on a lotus pedestal from which vines grow. The vines are connected to the lotus pods upon which the disciples, Mahakasyapa and Ananda, stand. Dragons support the Bodhisattva’s pedestals; the one on the left carries a vase and the one on the right is badly damaged. The Buddha has a radiating nimbus and aureole while the Bodhisattva’s nimbuses are petal-shaped.
The backside of the mandorla has a detailed bas-relief depicting the Buddhas Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna seated together. A lotus blossoms between them while other lotuses are carried by attendant Bodhisattvas or grow beside the six kneeling monks listening to their discourse. Two Dharma protecting lions flank a mountain censer on the bottom register.
The inscription on the base dates the work to 543 of the Eastern Wei dynasty and records Luo Zikuan as the commissioner. Images and cartouches of the deities, including the Dragon, Wind, Pearl, Bird, Lion, Fire, Tree, and Mountain deities are on the back and two sides. Each deity is identified by a cartouche. They sit loosely cross-legged and hold lotuses and other attributes. The Pearl Deity carries pearls in a shell and balances one on his head, while the Wind Deity’s hair is blown forward and he carries the wind in a bag.