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View at the museum ↗Maitreya Buddha
Unrecorded artistTang dynasty (A.D. 618–906), dated 705
- Attribution
- China
- Medium
- Limestone
- Physical dimensions
- 82.3 × 33 × 30.2 cm (32 7/16 × 12 15/16 × 11 15/16 in.)
- Credit line
- Gift of Alice Getty
Museum metadata is available under CC0. Image availability and rights are separate; consult the source record.
Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
Seated depictions of the Buddha originated in Indian art, perhaps in portraits of Indian royalty. The Chinese reserved this imagery for Maitreya (Chinese: Mi-le ), the Buddha of the Future, who waits in a cosmic heaven before descending to earth. This figure of Maitreya is about to step off his throne into this world, fulfilling the hopes and prayers of the faithful. His right hand is raised in a mudra (gesture) meaning "fear not." Flames, emphasizing radiance and holy presence, border his outer halo, and his head is framed by an open lotus, whose blossoms also rise beneath his feet. Because it emerges pure white from muddy water, the lotus is a pervasive symbol of the Buddhist nature within all living things.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0