Maitreya Buddha and Attendants

CHINA; Tang dynasty

Maitreya is seated with legs apart and hanging over the throne to rest on lotus flowers. The figure’s right hand is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. Across the left shoulder is a monastic robe with flowing folds that cling to the body. On the stand below, two small Bodhisattvas stand on either side of the lotus supports, while two larger figures stand at the back corners. In a row at the front of the openwork stand are a mountain censer flanked by lions and Dharma protectors.
A foliated openwork nimbus and aureole intersect behind Maitreya, giving way to a mandorla of intertwining branches, upon which rest small seated Buddhas and apsaras. Above them are kneeling devotees with palms joined on either side of the cross-legged Buddha at the crest.