Mathura: Standing Buddha

INDIA, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura

A number of features characteristic of the Kushan-period Mathura style are found in this statue. They include the plain nimbus with scalloped edges and facial features such as slender eyebrows, large almond-shaped eyes, a high nose, and full lips. Other features include the smooth hair that rises to a very small usnisa and the urna placed exactly where the brows join. The monastic robe is worn over both shoulders and the Buddha secures it by holding the fold pulled over the left shoulder. Smaller folds ripple down the material, which allows the shape of the body to show through. The right hand has a Dharma wheel in the center of the palm and is turned sideways in a form of abhaya (fearlessness) mudra.