Artwork Page for The New-born Buddha

Details / Information for The New-born Buddha

The New-born Buddha

400s CE

China, Northern Wei dynasty

(386-534)
Medium
gilt bronze with inlays of blue glass and turquoise
Measurements
Overall: 19.4 cm (7 5/8 in.); Diameter of base: 6.8 cm (2 11/16 in.); Base: 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1955.46
Public Domain
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Location
241C Chinese Buddhist Sculptures
Print
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Did You Know?

The tang on the back of the Buddha's head shows that it originally had a halo.

Description

This image of the newborn Buddha is rare and unusual. The common type represents him taking seven steps while proclaiming "I am supreme in the Universe." Here, he is represented as being bathed by the nine Nagas, with both hands down.
A gilt bronze sculpture depicts the standing New-born Buddha with dark hair piled in a rounded mound. He stands on a lotus-shaped pedestal, arms at his sides and palms facing forward. Flower-shaped turquoise inlays decorate his shoulders, and a blue glass dot marks his forehead. A corded belt wraps his waist. Flakes of the gilding have worn away to reveal the dark bronze underneath, particularly on the face, torso, and legs.

The New-born Buddha

400s CE

China, Northern Wei dynasty (386-534)

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