In this fifth-century representation of the Buddha, his spiritual dimension takes precedence over his physical attributes. The folds of his garment do not drape naturalistically; they are abstracted into flame-like blades. Imagine the figure in a darkened temple, the flickering of lamplight playing across its surface, directing the eye upward to the placid visage, while the larger-than-life hands emphasize the Buddha’s spiritual power.

Buddhism was introduced to China from India through Central Asia around the beginning of the first century AD—and it accelerated during the third and fourth centuries. Buddhist ideas were adapted to the terminology of Chinese Daoist religious beliefs, the worldview familiar in China. For a vivid illustration of the cultural differences of China and India, turn around, and walk into the next gallery. There, in the center to your left, is an Indian Buddha from the Gupta period, dated only a short time earlier than this Chinese depiction. In contrast to the Chinese sculptor’s suppression of physical details, Indian sculptors joined the spiritual qualities of the Buddha with earthly physicality. They emphasized the naturalistic, anatomical details of his body, visible beneath his sheer, rippling garment.