Cleveland Museum of Art

Pedestal

Date

mid-700s

Medium

ivory

Culture

China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Small circular pedestal or stand for an icon or figure, most probably a Buddha. Starting from the base of the pedestal, there is a band of pearling or beading, a row of everted lotus petals, four dwarf-like creatures alternating with four square columns, a lotus leaf, another row of lotus petals, their stamens and anthers, and finally a row of alternating large and small elements retaining traces of a red stain and probably representing stylized lotus petals. The pedestal is in the form of a well-known type, the double lotus pedestal ( visvapadma ), which was particularly popular in the second half of the sixth century, being found in most of the Chinese cave sites of that period. This pedestal however, represents a later continuation of the type.

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