Votive Tablet with Buddha and Two Attendants

CHINA; Tang dynasty

This votive tablet is thought to have been excavated from Daci’en Temple in Xi’an, Shaanxi.
The tablet is shaped like an ogee arch with a Buddha seated on a lotus throne in the center. The Buddha wears a robe across the left shoulder and performs the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. Flanking him are two attending Bodhisattvas with topknots and long hair. They are standing symmetrically in tribhanga position on lotus pedestals, and hold jewels and vases. Above the Buddha, there are seven small Buddhas sitting on lotus thrones.
The back of the tablet is inscribed with 12 characters in beautiful calligraphy, which reference creation process and materials used to make the tablet.