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Buddha Shakyamuni and Adorants on Mount Meru

Buddha Shakyamuni and Adorants on Mount Meru, c. 700

Asia: India, State of Jammu and Kashmir, 675-725
Bronze with silver and copper inlay
13-1/4 x 9-1/2 x 4-3/4 in. (33.7 x 24.1 x 12.1 cm)
The Norton Simon Foundation
F.1972.48.2.S
© The Norton Simon Foundation

On view

This masterpiece of Indian metal sculpture is one of the most sumptuous Buddhist altarpieces to have survived from Kashmir. Buddha Shakyamuni sits in the meditation posture on a thick cushion covered with lavish carpets. Beneath him is a rocky formation divided into three realms—animal, human and celestial—from bottom to top. The probable intent is to represent the historical Buddha as a transcendental figure seated on the cosmic mountain Meru, which is considered to be the center of the universe.


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