Udhyana Buddha, 14th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Gilt bronzeexpand_more

Gift of Augustus L. Searleexpand_more  59.5

This small bronze statue demonstrates how images and styles spread throughout the Buddhist world. The depiction is said to be based on a sandalwood sculpture commissioned by King Udhyana in India during the lifetime of the historical Buddha (c. 400s BCE). A copy was brought to China in 405 CE and later transferred to the Da Shang Shou An Si temple in Beijing in 1289 CE. The casting of this miniature bronze shows Nepalese influence, a result of the Yuan dynasty emperor, Kublai Khan (r. 1260–94), who was a devout practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). At his court, Khan kept Tibetan advisors, tutors, and 24 Nepalese artisans, led by Aniko, a master artist from the Kathmandu Valley.

Details
Title
Udhyana Buddha
Role
Artist
Dimension
5 in. (12.7 cm)
Accession Number
59.5
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.