Maitreya Buddha Triad

CHINA; Northern Wei dynasty

The Buddha is seated with ankles crossed on a lion throne with hands placed together as if in a mudra. The figure has curly hair and an urna in the center of the forehead. A monastic robe covers both shoulders and has stylized diagonal folds. Robed Bodhisattvas stand on either side with palms joined in reverence. Their plain nimbuses are shaped like lotus petals.
The Buddha’s floral nimbus is surrounded with seven seated Buddhas above whom fly apsaras. Four more meditating figures fill the space between the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. A flaming surround emerging above the latter converts the assemblage into a mandorla.
The rectangular platform at the bottom has a relief featuring two figures carrying lotuses next to an offering. The inscriptions on either side identify the donors as Liu Baosheng and his wife, Wang Meimei.