Buddha, seated under a canopy of 3 leaves on a double lotus dais in the padmasana pose, in bhumisparsa mudra, flanked by two stupas / Artist Unknown, India, Northeastern India

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Record Details

Accession Number
1983/1.396
Title
Buddha, seated under a canopy of 3 leaves on a double lotus dais in the padmasana pose, in bhumisparsa mudra, flanked by two stupas
Artist Nationality
Indian
Medium and Support
black schist
Object Creation Date
11th century
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
India (nation)
Bengal
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
India (nation)
Creation Place 3
Bengal
Style/Group/Movement
Buddhist
Dimensions
7.8 cm x 4.3 cm x 2.3 cm (3 1/16 in. x 1 11/16 in. x 7/8 in.)
Century
11th century
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
carving
Secondary Object Classification
Ritual Objects
Secondary Object Type
figure
Physical Description
The Buddha in bhumisparsa mudra (the gesture of touching the earth with his right hand, palm inward), signaling his victory over Mara. He is shown under three leaves, indicating the bodhi tree under which he sat while meditating before reaching an awakening. He is shown flanked by two stupas, or reliquary monuments, symbolizing his attainment of nirvana.
Subject Matter
The founder of Buddhism is known as Shakyamuni, the “sage (muni) of the Shakya clan.” He is shown here in the gesture of bhumisparsha mudra, or “calling the earth to witness.” The pose is based on a moment in his life when, as he sat down to meditate in a grove at Bodh Gaya, he was challenged by the evil Mara, who questioned his qualifications to earn enlightenment. Shakyamuni reached down with his right hand to touch the Earth, the sole witness of the countless past lives through which he had accumulated merit.
The two small objects to either side of the Buddha are stupas, reliquaries that house his physical remains and symbolize his nirvana, or release from the bonds of transmigration. This small image may have been carved in Bodh Gaya as a souvenir for pilgrims to the site.
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Technical Details

Image Size
679 x 823
File Size
33 KB
Record
1983/1.396
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1983-sl-1.396/1983_1.396.jpg

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"Buddha, seated under a canopy of 3 leaves on a double lotus dais in the padmasana pose, in bhumisparsa mudra, flanked by two stupas; Artist Unknown, India, Northeastern India." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1983-sl-1.396/1983_1.396.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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