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Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni

11th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This sculpture of the historic Buddha is surrounded by scenes from his life whose locales had become important pilgrimage places in India and Nepal. Adorning the Buddha with elaborate jewelry and a crown relates to the Vajrayana conception that he was accessible and living in a celestial, crystalline realm. While touching the earth at the moment of enlightenment, according to the Yoga Tantra, the Buddha Shakyamuni was conducted to the highest heaven in his “mind-made body” (manomaya kaya), where Buddhas of the ten directions bestowed upon him the five stages of perfect enlightenment.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Date: 11th century
  • Culture: India, Bihar or West Bengal
  • Medium: Schist
  • Dimensions: H. 27 3/4 in. (70.5 cm); W. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm); D. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm); Wt. 150 lbs. (68 kg)
    Mount dimensions: H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 18 1/2 in. (5.7 cm); D. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Asia Society, New York, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.36
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art