A SMALL EARLY GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA

SIXTEEN KINGDOMS PERIOD (AD 304-439)

Details

A SMALL EARLY GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA
SIXTEEN KINGDOMS PERIOD (AD 304-439)
The figure is shown seated in dhyanasana on a lion throne, and wears a square shawl that is draped around the body. A small attachment tab projects from the back of the head.
3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) high, wood stand

Provenance

Private collection, Japan, acquired prior to 1930.

Lot Essay

This figure belongs to a specific group of small sculptures of Shakyamuni Buddha made for personal devotion that found popularity during the fourth to fifth centuries in China. They are some of the earliest free-standing representations of Buddha made in China, and point to the direct spread of Buddhism from India into China.

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