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Monk

A work made of limestone with traces of polychromy.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of limestone with traces of polychromy.

Date:

Sui Dynasty (589–618 A.D.)

Artist:

China

About this artwork

Expressing serene dignity, these youthful monks stand erect, their eyes downcast and hands firmly joined in reverent prayer. Their long earlobes allude to earrings that were worn by the Buddha as a young Indian prince and to his rejection of material wealth. Characteristic of Sui dynasty sculpture, the monks’ sharply defined facial features and the folds of their robes enhance the figures’ flat, understated modeling. Each of their robes was originally painted with rectangles of different colors, signifying the patchwork mantle worn by the Buddha and by pious monks who emulated his humble values. Only shadowy traces of these pigments are now evident.

Status

On View, Gallery 101

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Monk

Place

China (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

589 CE–618 CE

Medium

Limestone with traces of polychromy

Dimensions

88.3 × 25.4 × 16.6 cm (34 3/4 × 10 × 6 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1932.222

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/11091/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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