Buddha Triad

CHINA; Tang dynasty

The central figure is a round-faced Buddha sitting with legs crossed upon a flowering lotus. The three lines on the figure’s neck signify a great person. The thick monastic robe has folds depicted with simple accuracy. A flaming circular nimbus frames the Buddha’s head, and his right hand is raised in the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra while the left rests on the knee.
Foliage rises from beneath the Buddha’s throne and two lotus buds support the attendant Bodhisattvas. The two figures wear crowns and have simple nimbuses. The figure on the left stands in the tribhanga posture with the head inclined to one side, while the other Bodhisattva stands with less of an expressive posture. Both figures wear only a stole and a skirt.
The elevated platform supporting the triad rises from an openwork base with a simplified balustrade. Warriors flank the figures making offerings at either end of the base.