Seated Buddha, probably Shakyamuni (Shijiamouni)
Not on view
Representations of the Buddha wearing a thick shawl over both shoulders and sitting atop a throne with lions on either side are Chinese adaptations of images derived from the northwest region of the Indian subcontinent, particularly from areas in present-day Pakistan (known as Gandhara in the ancient world). Scientific examination of this sculpture has shown that it was cast using several ceramic molds, a technique that was also used to create the ancient bronze ritual vessels on view in this gallery. By the fifth century, the lost-wax method, which may have been introduced with Buddhism, was used more often for the casting of Chinese sculptures.
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