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Source Description
Before achieving enlightenment – a state of freedom from desire and the suffering it causes – the meditating Buddha was assaulted by the forces of Mara, a demon who personifies both death and the attachments that trap living beings in a cycle of worldly suffering. Prevailing over Mara, the Buddha touched the earth with his right hand so that she would witness his moment of victory–and his enlightenment.Gazing downward with half-closed eyes inlaid with shell and lacquer and a serene smile originally painted red, this Buddha at once embodies a calm equilibrium and a radiant energy, communicated by the flame-like rays that emerge from his head and in the shining gold that once covered his entire body. His physical strength is indicated by his broad chest filled with the sacred breath of life known as "prana."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
37881
label
Buddha at the Moment of Victory
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
37881
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Buddha at the Moment of Victory
description
Before achieving enlightenment – a state of freedom from desire and the suffering it causes – the meditating Buddha was assaulted by the forces of Mara, a demon who personifies both death and the attachments that trap living beings in a cycle of worldly suffering. Prevailing over Mara, the Buddha touched the earth with his right hand so that she would witness his moment of victory–and his enlightenment.Gazing downward with half-closed eyes inlaid with shell and lacquer and a serene smile originally painted red, this Buddha at once embodies a calm equilibrium and a radiant energy, communicated by the flame-like rays that emerge from his head and in the shining gold that once covered his entire body. His physical strength is indicated by his broad chest filled with the sacred breath of life known as "prana."
provenance
Acquired by Luang Ban. Acquired by Alexander B. Griswold, Monkton, Maryland, 1949 [1]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1992.[1] Presented to the Breezewood Foundation, December 1964, inv. no. 628
date
late 15th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Metal
sculpture (visual works)
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
92
height
67
depth
37.2
dimensionsRaw
H of figure without tangs: 36 1/4 × W: 26 3/8 × D: 14 5/8 in. (92 × 67 × 37.2 cm); Base H: 3 × W: 17 × D: 28 in. (7.6 × 43.2 × 71.1 cm)
Source extras
cul
Thai
med
leaded bronze with shell, lacquer, and gilding
creator_ids
2501
collection_ids
SEA
exhibition_ids
945
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
82c805052349e8ae
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
29f424e37b3f29b1
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
d74fe1475eae6035
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
b57f1968e8661849
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
4a5598ca60e3ea82
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
444cbe6b3de53f33
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
fcd9039e1ce7fb39
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no