Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha
Limestone
Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha
CHINA, Shaanxi, Xi’an; Wu Zhou period
The sculpture was once part of a niche but has been reduced to a free standing statue. The inscription identifies the figure as Maitreya and dates it to 703. It also names Minister Yao Yuanzhi as the person who commissioned it.
The robust figure sits enthroned with legs pendent and wears monastic robes that covers both shoulders. The damaged right hand was probably raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra, while the left hand rests naturally on the knee. Both feet are supported below by outgrowing lotus blossoms. Lions sit on guard at either side of the square pedestal, although the one on the right has largely disappeared.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, page 388.
Cite this article:
Hsingyun, et al. "Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha." Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, vol. 11, 2016, pp. 388.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Yann Lovelock, Yuan Chou, Susan Huntington, Gary Edson, and Robert Neather. 2016. "Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha" In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, 11:388.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Lovelock, Y., Chou, Y., Huntington, S., Edson, G., & Neather, R.. (2016). Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha. In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M (Vol. 11, pp. 388).
@misc{Hsingyun2016,
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 388,
title = {{Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 388,
title = {{Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Maitreya Buddha}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}