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Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)

Dark stone sculpture of Buddha sitting cross-legged, hands in lap, eyes closed.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • Dark stone sculpture of Buddha sitting cross-legged, hands in lap, eyes closed.

Date:

Chola period (c. 855-1279), about 12th century

Artist:

India
Tamil Nadu, near Nagapattinam

About this artwork

This meditating Buddha comes from the coastal town of Nagapattinam in southern India, which was, as a result of settlers from Srivijaya (Indonesia), one of the few places where Buddhism was still flourishing in the twelfth century. The Buddha—with his elongated earlobes, the wheel marks on his palms, the urna between his brows, and the cranial protuberance covered with snail-shell curls—is seated in the posture of meditation, with his hands resting on his lap (dhyanamudra), wearing a seemingly diaphanous monastic garment. As in other images from Nagapattinam, a flame emerges out of the Buddha’s cranial protuberance, probably signifying wisdom. This monumental granite sculpture originally would have graced a monastic site at Nagapattinam, which is also well known for its Buddhist bronzes. The Tamil inscription covering its back is no longer legible.

Status

On View, Gallery 140

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)

Place

Nagapattinam (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.

1101–1200

Medium

Granite

Dimensions

160 × 120.2 × 56.3 cm (63 × 47 5/16 × 22 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrew Brown

Reference Number

1964.556

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/21023/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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