Skip to Content

Buddha Shakyamuni with Attendants

A work made of sandstone.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of sandstone.

Date:

Kushan period, 2nd century

Artist:

India
Uttar Pradesh, Mathura region

About this artwork

This stele epitomizes the distinctive style of the early Mathura school of Buddhist sculpture, characterized by its mottled red sandstone and such features as the Buddha’s twisted topknot, the diaphanous garment worn over one shoulder, and the supple modeling of his body. Here, the Buddha is portrayed seated in vajraparyanka (vajra posture) upon a simhasana (lion throne). He is flanked on either side by attendants bearing fly-whisks, while vidyadharas (celestials) hover overhead. The tree branches splayed out behind the Buddha’s aureole invoke his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Buddha Shakyamuni with Attendants

Place

Mathura (Object made in:)

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.

95 CE–205 CE

Medium

Sandstone

Dimensions

35.9 × 26.4 × 8.6 cm (14 1/8 × 10 3/8 × 3 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

James W. and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection. Gift of Marilynn Alsdorf

Reference Number

2021.243

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/148394/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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share