Period: 9th century
Materials: Copper alloy
Dimensions: 22 cm
Description
This standing Buddha from Kashmir, dated to the ninth century, is made of copper alloy. The ushnisha, urna, elongated earlobes and curled hair define his image. The right hand is raised in abhaya mudra, the gesture of protection and fearlessness, while the left holds the monastic robe.
The ushnisha and urna are distinguishing marks of the Buddha and evoke his enlightened state, while the elongated earlobes recall his princely life. The monastic robe, or sanghati, expresses his ascetic condition. Together, these elements identify the subject within a language shared by Buddhist sculptural traditions, to which each region gives its own formal interpretation.
The slight advance of the right knee introduces movement into the frontal stance. The folds of the robe follow the torso and arms, relating the pattern of the drapery to the body’s volume.
Situated between the Indian subcontinent, Gandhara and Central Asia, Kashmir developed a sculptural tradition combining naturalism and idealisation. In this figure, continuous modelling and articulated drapery convey the language of the region’s Buddhist production.
