Meditating Buddha Attended by Two Bodhisattvas

7th–8th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 237

The Buddha sits in a posture of meditation (dhyana mudra) with his head framed by a flaming halo. Both of the flanking bodhisattvas hold their right hands in the boon-giving varada mudra. The Buddha sits on a throne supported by two fragmentary lions similar to those found in metal images made for the Patola Shahi rulers of the kingdom of Gilgit. Two figures in the lower corners are likely the donors of this relief. Devotional images, such as this one, are most widely preserved as rock-cut reliefs on boulders along the highways of the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Meditating Buddha Attended by Two Bodhisattvas
Date: 7th–8th century
Culture: Pakistan (Swat Valley)
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: H. 22 1/4 in. (56.5 cm); W. 22 3/4 in. (57.8 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1995
Object Number: 1995.570.2
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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