seasmoked
BUDDHA
"Granite
India, Tamil Nadu, Nagapattinam
12th century, Chola dynasty
This meditating figure, conveying spiritual strength and solidity, was carved for placement by a shrine or in a monastery. Sitting in the lotus pose with his hands resting in the gesture of meditation, he can be identified as the Buddha by his elongated earlobes, the lotus marks on his palms, the third eye of insight, and his cranial bump with a flame of wisdom. On the back of the sculpture is a long inscription in Tamil, a language of southern India.
In India, artists were not strictly commited to fashioning works for clients of a single religion. Distinctive regional styles, however, were more pronounced. For example, this sculpture has characteristics that mark it as non-Indian because it was made for Indonesian Buddhist patrons living in the Indian port city of Nagapattinam. Interestingly, these artists were supported by the Hindu ruler of the Chola dynasty."
BUDDHA
"Granite
India, Tamil Nadu, Nagapattinam
12th century, Chola dynasty
This meditating figure, conveying spiritual strength and solidity, was carved for placement by a shrine or in a monastery. Sitting in the lotus pose with his hands resting in the gesture of meditation, he can be identified as the Buddha by his elongated earlobes, the lotus marks on his palms, the third eye of insight, and his cranial bump with a flame of wisdom. On the back of the sculpture is a long inscription in Tamil, a language of southern India.
In India, artists were not strictly commited to fashioning works for clients of a single religion. Distinctive regional styles, however, were more pronounced. For example, this sculpture has characteristics that mark it as non-Indian because it was made for Indonesian Buddhist patrons living in the Indian port city of Nagapattinam. Interestingly, these artists were supported by the Hindu ruler of the Chola dynasty."