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Standing Buddha, Gupta period (ca. 319–500), 5th century
Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, India
Mottled red sandstone; H. 33 11/16 in. (85.5 cm); W. 16 3/4 in. (42.5 cm)
Purchase, Enid A. Haupt Gift, 1979 (1979.6)
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Description
The subtle modeling and elegant proportions of this Buddha exemplify the style developed in the holy city of Mathura during the Gupta period, a golden age in Indian arts and sciences. The physical perfection of the figure represents the Buddha's attainment of spiritual perfection. The rounded cheeks, full lips, almond-shaped eyes, and arched eyebrows express serenity and strength. The earlobes are elongated, a result of the heavy earrings that the Buddha had worn when he was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. They are a sign of the material possessions that the prince abandoned on his road to enlightenment as the Buddha.
The Buddha's thin robe flows in a graceful linear rhythm over the powerful forms of the body. The left hand, which is missing, may have held up the garment's hem. The right hand, also missing, was originally raised in the open-palmed gesture known as abhaya mudra, a gesture of reassurance and protection.
View more highlights from the Museum's Department of Asian Art.
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