Stele Depicting Shakyamuni Buddha Touching the Earth, ca. 9th–10th century. Schist, 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Manheim, 68.185.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 68.185.8_PS2.jpg)
Stele Depicting Shakyamuni Buddha Touching the Earth, ca. 9th–10th century. Schist, 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Manheim, 68.185.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 68.185.8_bw.jpg)
Stele Depicting Shakyamuni Buddha Touching the Earth
Asian Art
MEDIUM
Schist
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
- Possible place made: Bihar, India
- Possible place made: West Bengal, India
DATES
ca. 9th–10th century
PERIOD
Pala Period
DIMENSIONS
9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.7 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
68.185.8
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Manheim
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Small Pala-period stone stele with rounded top, carved with the figure of Shakyamuni Buddha in vajraparyanka (posture of meditation), on a lotus throne, with a foliate chattra (tree-shaped parasol) above the mandorla, and miniature stupas on either side. The Buddha makes the Bhumisparsa Mudra, or Earth-Touching Gesture, with his right hand, making reference to his calling of the earth goddess to witness in the moments before his Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The tree above his head appears to refer to the Bodhi tree, beneath which he meditated prior to gaining Enlightenment.
Condition: the surface of the stone is well worn. There are chips in the hair, nose and right eye of the figure and the fingers of the left hand.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Stele Depicting Shakyamuni Buddha Touching the Earth, ca. 9th–10th century. Schist, 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Manheim, 68.185.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 68.185.8_PS2.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 68.185.8_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2011
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply.
Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply).
For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch.
For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright.
If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.
