Provenance:
Collection of Richard and Ruth Dickes, acquired in 1981
The central figure of Buddha is seated in dhyanasana on a lotus supported by a faceted pedestal throne with a pair of addorsed lions flanking a silk textile. His hands rest in his lap in dhyana mudra. The upright portion of the throne is visible, and bunting hangs from a crossbar. Buddha’s robe is sheer and adheres closely to his body in the manner of a Sarnath-style robe; he wears no ornaments.
Buddha’s face is distinguished by a countenance both benevolent and benign. His features include a slightly-smiling mouth with outlined lips, straight nose, downcast eyes, and arched eyebrows in relief centering his third eye (urna). Hs hair is arranged in rows of tight curls which includes his domed usnisa. The nimbus framing his head is bordered by stylized flames. The upper arched section of the stele is decorated with two stupas in high relief centering a Buddhist inscription. It translates:
“All phenomena arise from causes; Those causes have been explained by the Tathagatha, And their cessation too has been taught by the Great Shramana."
Achieved in Bodh Gaya after years of asceticism, Buddha sat under a sacred fig tree and began to meditate. Buddha’s Enlightenment, or bodhi, was an awakening to the true nature of reality, leading to the cessation of suffering (Nirvana). By understanding the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, people could find their own way to enlightenment
