Seated Buddha

CHINA; Tang dynasty

This petal-shaped Tang dynasty painting was cut out from a larger piece of paper. The Buddha has a square face, large ears, and a usnisa. He wears an inner robe covered with a brown monastic robe. His two hands form the dhyana (meditation) mudra, and he sits in full lotus position on a lotus throne. An aureole and a flame-patterned nimbus surround the body. The Buddha is depicted within empty space bordered by a large mandorla with a flame pattern around the outside. A rectangle decorated with floral patterns forms the bottom border. Strings, perhaps used for carrying the picture, are tied to the bottom left corner of the rectangle.