figure
- Museum number
- 1958,1216.2
- Description
-
Seated Bodhisattva, originally perhaps in 'abhayamudrā'. The uttarīya, worn almost wholly as a scarf looping the left shoulder, has one long end hanging from the crook of the right elbow; if what the left hand holds is the other end, there is no clear connection between it and the main fabric. The paridhāna, secured by a girdle, covers both legs tightly with some excess of cloth under both knees. The smooth face has narrow slit eyes, an ūrṇā and an almost straight mouth; the nose is restored. The headdress consists of a thick, horizontal length of hair looped at one end worn behind a cross-hatched wreath linked over the forehead by a globular bead, tight curls along the forehead and strands falling on the shoulders.
The torso is smooth with nipples and a slightly projecting abdomen, and at this point the figure seems to be foreshortened; the knees project sideways and the legs cross below them. The feet, raised on their toes, are clumsily turned towards each other. A damaged necklace of large globular beads is aligned with a cord holding three long, faceted cylindrical boxes, one crescentic amulet and another perhaps barrel-shaped.
The seat has legs rounded by grooves and drapery in between. Below the small projection for the feet is a register of panels diagonally bisected into triangles, each containing a small indented triangle.
Beside the figure on the right is the shouldered projection of a throne back and part of a halo above; on the left there is only an irregularly broken outline in which neither feature can be distinguished.
- Production date
- 2ndC-3rdC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 8.50 centimetres
-
Height: 28.60 centimetres
-
Width: 20.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Zwalf 1996:
Although the unusual headdress groups this piece with Maitreya images, the damage below the left hand and knee is unconvincing as evidence for a lost water pot.
The piece is perhaps modern or reworked.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- 1.Light grey schist, broken with some plaster repairs.
2.Top, including halo, partly broken; sides mainly smooth; bottom perhaps sawn off.
3.Back somewhat flat with some flaking and shallow horizontal chisel grooves.
- Acquisition date
- 1958
- Acquisition notes
- Purchased from Messrs Spink and Son.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1958,1216.2