Buddha, seated in bhumisparsa mudra, surrounded by five stupas (votive plaque)
Indian
Description
This clay plaque depicts the Buddha in the gesture of “calling the earth to witness” his countless past lives, through which he gradually acquired the merit that will now bear fruit in his spiritual awakening. This was an event that took place in Bodh Gaya in what is today the center of Bihar state, and small votive plaques such as this one may have been produced there as a memento for pilgrims to the sacred site. Small, portable images such as these helped transmit the Pala style east to Burma and north to Nepal and Tibet. (A carve stoned image of the same scene (1983/1.396) is also found in the UMMA collections.)
Exhibited in "Divine Encounters, Earthly Pleasures: Twenty Centuries of Indian Art," 12/12/03-2/22/04.
Subject Matter:
The Buddha in bhumisparsa mudra (the gesture of touching the earth with his right hand, palm inward), signaling his victory over Mara. He is shown here surrounded by five stupas, or reliquary monuments, signifying his attainment of nirvana.
Small votive plaques such as this one may have been produced in bodh Gaya as a memento for pilgrims to the sacred site. Portable images such as these helped transmit the Pala style east to Burma and north to Nepal and Tibet.
Physical Description:
This clay votive plaque depicts the Buddha in the gesture of “calling the earth to witness." He is shown here surrounded by five stupas, or reliquary monuments.
Usage Rights:
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