Torso of Buddha Shakyamuni
7th-8th century
Asia: Thailand
On View

Carved in the round, this sculpture of the Buddha Shakyamuni is characteristic of the artistic style associated with the Dvaravati period (6th–11th centuries). The transparent, clinging monastic robe, which covers both shoulders, and the faintly suggested undergarment that sits below the Buddha’s navel are both hallmarks of the Dvaravati style as are the articulated kneecaps and hemline of the Buddha’s robe. Although this figure is no longer intact, in its original condition, the Buddha would have had both hands extended and in the gesture of teaching (vitarkamudra).

Details

  • Title: Torso of Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Date: 7th-8th century
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: overall: 36-1/2 x 10-1/4 x 4 in. (92.2 x 26 x 10.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
  • Accession Number: F.1972.11.4.S
  • Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation

Object Information

  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, fig. 4 p. 63
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 3: Art from Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia, 2004, no. 89 pp. 120-121, 142
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 785 p. 338

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