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Source Description
This seated and crowned Buddha reaches his right hand downward in the earth-touching gesture, while resting his left hand in a position of meditation. The gesture recalls the moment when Shakyamuni Buddha called the earth goddess to witness his enlightenment, when he reached a complete understanding of the true nature of reality. Because of its associations with the unwavering pursuit of enlightenment, the earth-touching gesture also identifies the cosmic Buddha Akshobhya, whose name means “Unshakable.” When this sculpture was made, it was common to depict both Shakyamuni and the cosmic Buddhas wearing crowns. This image may call both to mind, but the absence of additional jewelry suggests that it is Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
19134
label
Crowned Buddha
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
19134
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Crowned Buddha
description
This seated and crowned Buddha reaches his right hand downward in the earth-touching gesture, while resting his left hand in a position of meditation. The gesture recalls the moment when Shakyamuni Buddha called the earth goddess to witness his enlightenment, when he reached a complete understanding of the true nature of reality. Because of its associations with the unwavering pursuit of enlightenment, the earth-touching gesture also identifies the cosmic Buddha Akshobhya, whose name means “Unshakable.” When this sculpture was made, it was common to depict both Shakyamuni and the cosmic Buddhas wearing crowns. This image may call both to mind, but the absence of additional jewelry suggests that it is Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha.
provenance
Vajra Arts, Hong Kong; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, January 1970; given to Walters Art Museum, 2010.
date
11th-12th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Metal
sculpture (visual works)
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
37
height
26.5
depth
19
dimensionsRaw
H: 14 9/16 × W: 10 7/16 × D: 7 1/2 in. (37 × 26.5 × 19 cm)
Source extras
med
copper alloy with traces of gilding and paint
creator_ids
6868
collection_ids
INT
exhibition_ids
2071
Page inventory
seq
1
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photo
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de5a5f067975b98c
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no
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no
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photo
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de7c40c6252b75f0
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no
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type
photo
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type
photo
mediaId
c39ad752665444b4
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no
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
138b8759828e2629
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no
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
a9a596c1f74b44da
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no
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no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
4bb7ef43aa6dd76c
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no