dirksachsenheimer
Buddha Shakyamuni
Victoria & Albert Museum
Buddha Shakyamuni
1500 - 1600, Ming dynasty, cast and gilded bronze
Shakyamuni was the historical Buddha, born as an Indian prince in about 485 BC. This figure represents the crucial moment in his life when he asked the earth to bear witness that he had resisted the attacks of Mara, the goddess of evil. His right hand extends downward to touch the soil, a symbolic gesture known as chudiyin (bhumisparsha mudra).
Buddha Shakyamuni
Victoria & Albert Museum
Buddha Shakyamuni
1500 - 1600, Ming dynasty, cast and gilded bronze
Shakyamuni was the historical Buddha, born as an Indian prince in about 485 BC. This figure represents the crucial moment in his life when he asked the earth to bear witness that he had resisted the attacks of Mara, the goddess of evil. His right hand extends downward to touch the soil, a symbolic gesture known as chudiyin (bhumisparsha mudra).