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• 1 2024-11-19T08:44:43-08:00 Where did this Sakyamuni Buddha go? 7 plain 2024-11-21T09:41:25-08:00

  This sculpture is an early anthropomorphic depiction of the Buddha, meaning it depicts the Buddha in his human form and displays important iconographic traits associated with him. However, the work suffered damage and is incomplete. Comparisons with other works from the Kushan period in the Mathura style allow us to speculate what the complete program for Worcester’s work might have looked like before damage. Many examples of Buddhist art from Mathura made of red sandstone and carved in high relief depict the Buddha similarly. 
  

  Shared iconographic details like the wheel of dharma on the Buddha’s right hand, as well as the leaf from the bodhi tree behind the right shoulder of the Buddha, indicate established conventions. The Seated Shakyamuni Buddha pictured here exemplifies a more complete version of this type. This image displays details similar to the Worcester Buddha, like the clinging drapery, elongated earlobes, and even the right arm placement. However, this example fills in the missing details of the Worcester Sakyamuni Buddha. Note the full ushnisha, the left arm, and the crossed legs, completing the seated lotus pose. The undamaged version also depicts flanking attendant bodhisattvas – enlightened beings who postponed nirvana to help all sentient beings. The full halo surrounding the Buddha’s head signifies the Buddha's divine nature. 

  Early anthropomorphic images of the Buddha from Mathura coincide with the development of the Buddhist faith, which deified the Buddha over time. These types of frontal, enthroned images of the Sakyamuni Buddha would have been placed in temples for worship.
  
  Kyle Gove, Class of 2025, College of the Holy Cross