Artwork Page for Temptation of Buddha by the Evil Forces of Mara

Details / Information for Temptation of Buddha by the Evil Forces of Mara

Temptation of Buddha by the Evil Forces of Mara

700s

Northern India, Kashmir, 8th century

Medium
ivory with gold and polychrome
Measurements
Overall: 13 x 8.9 cm (5 1/8 x 3 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1971.18
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
237 Himalayan
Print

Description

Intimate shrines for personal meditation practices contained scenes from the life of the Buddha. In an episode just prior to his achievement of enlightenment, the Buddha sat in meditation and faced personifications of the final obstacles. In this exquisite rendering derived from the Greco-Roman realism of Gandharan art, demons attack him in an attempt to scare him off the path. Seductive women do their best to distract him. He remains placid and firm in his conviction that these beings have no inherent reality, and he renders them powerless.
Painted, light brown ivory sculpture carved to depict the Buddha seated cross-legged while women and demons a fifth his size arch over him, the edges cut into a sharp, slightly curved rectangular sculpture. The Buddha places his left hand face-up on his lap, his right draped over his right knee, and wears a red, rippling robe over his left shoulder. His skin is painted gold and the rows of knobs making his hair black.

Temptation of Buddha by the Evil Forces of Mara

700s

Northern India, Kashmir, 8th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.