Buddha Pentad

CHINA; Northern Qi dynasty

The largest figure in the center is the Buddha, with smaller figures on either side. The Buddha’s hands, held in the abhaya (fearlessness) and varada (wish-granting) mudras, are slightly larger in proportion to the rest of the body. His impressive nimbus is composed of petals with an outer rim of plants and devotional figures. The flanking Bodhisattvas and disciples are supported by lotuses that emerge from the mouths of dragons crouched at the Buddha’s feet. The entire group is positioned within a petal-shaped mandorla with four apsaras flying on either side of the curve. Two children are seen supporting a pagoda at the apex of the mandorla.
The reverse side shows Maitreya Bodhisattva contemplating in the relaxation posture under the entwined branches of twin dragon trees. The stele was once restored, and traces of gilding and coloration remain.