ClassificationsAsian Art

The Bodhisattva as Prince Siddhartha Gautama

Possible OriginPakistan, Asia

Possible OriginAfghanistan, Asia

CulturePakistan and Afghanistan (Gandhara)

PeriodKushan

Date2nd-3rd Century CE

MediumGrey schist

Credit LineGift of Anne Cox Chambers

Dimensions20 1/4 x 14 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. (51.4 x 36.8 x 22.2 cm)

Object number2013.014.001

Label TextOpulent jewels and a lion turban adorn the Bodhisattva, or future Buddha, in this Gandharan sculpture. After lifetimes of striving, the Bodhisattva is born in his final life as the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama. Waves of curly hair, a luxurious mustache, and heavy earrings indicate his royal status. He wears a multi-stranded necklace featuring auspicious sea creatures (makara) whose heads meet in the center. Amulet boxes, the type that would have contained sacred substances or mantras, hang from a sacred cord encircling his chest. Behind his head is a nimbus, reminding devotees of his status as the soon-to-be Buddha Shakyamuni.

These Indian royal motifs are complemented by musculature and robes reflecting the Hellenistic influence that came to Gandhara with Alexander the Great in 327 BCE. During the subsequent Kushan dynasty, Gandhara along with Mathura produced the earliest known images of the Bodhisattva and Buddha in human form. This example was probably standing with his right hand raised in a have-no-fear gesture, possibly displayed alongside other Bodhisattvas to inspire hope in followers for the possibility of their own eventual awakening.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, March 17, 2016 - January 17, 2017
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, February 1, 2017 - April 4, 2021
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, August 28, 2021 - Present
Published ReferencesSara McClintock and John Dunne, Nagarjuna's Precious Garland (Wisdom Publications: New York, 2024), cover image.

ProvenanceEx private collection, Texas, acquired late 1950s. Thence by descent. Purchased by MCCM from Sue McGovern-Huffman [Sands of Time Ancient Art], Washington, DC.

Status

On view

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