Sakyamuni Buddha

CHINA; Northern Wei dynasty

The Buddha is seated in full lotus position on a Sumeru throne that is supported on a decorated four-legged stand. The right hand of the Buddha is held sideways in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra, while the left hand holds the hem of the monastic robe.
The large mandorla behind the Buddha is leaf-shaped and filled with stylized flame patterns that to overlap their support. Within the mandorla is an aureole with three seated Buddhas about the rim and enclosing a lotus flower nimbus. The throne has a reversed lotus base, on either side of which crouch guardian lions. Foliated patterns decorate the stand with two devotees incised on the legs. An inscription on the back of the stand identifies the monk Fa’en as the donor in memory of his parents.