The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 13, 2026

A wood sculpture coated in black lacquer depicts the Buddha standing and wearing a robe draped in folds. Raised circles texture his hair, including the circular bump atop his head. A circular depression marks his forehead and horizontal depressions his eyes and mouth. His robes dip low in a "U" shape, showing his chest. The black lacquer has chipped. Where his hands would stick out from his robes has worn away to flat, striated wood.

Sakyamuni

1900s

Korea

wood with traces of black lacquer
Overall: 43.1 cm (16 15/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1988.152
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbinī, located in present-day southern Nepal.

Description

This standing Buddhist statue represents Śākyamuni Buddha. Based on its highly formalized carving style and symmetrical drapery, this work is a modern interpretation of ancient Korean Buddhist statues.
  • ?–1988
    (Kumazawa Oriental Art, Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1988–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • “The Year in Review for 1988.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 76, no. 2 (1989): 30–75. Mentioned: p. 75, no. 226 www.jstor.org
  • Intimate Rituals and Personal Devotions: Spiritual Art Through the Ages. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL (organizer) (July 16, 2000-January 14, 2001).
    The Year in Review for 1988. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 1-May 14, 1989).
  • {{cite web|title=Sakyamuni|url=false|author=|year=1900s|access-date=13 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1988.152