Minneapolis Institute of Art

Enshrined Buddha

Myanmar (Burma)

Date

c. 1850

Medium

Wood, lacquer, gold leaf, mirrors and colored glass inlay

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Seated in the bhumisparśamudra , or earth-touching gesture, this statue depicts the Buddha just before his enlightenment under the bodhi tree. The events leading up to this moment are often described as a powerful battle between good and evil, delusion and insight. Mara, the god of illusion, attacked the Buddha, challenging the young prince’s right to destroy him. In response, the Buddha reached his right hand down, calling the earth as witness to his good deeds over many lifetimes. In accounts from Southeast Asia, the goddess of the earth emerged and flooded the earth, destroying Mara and his armies. “Enshrining” or “enthroning” freestanding statues of the Buddha in elaborate backdrops derives from the ancient Indian practice of placing stone images within the decorative niches of temple walls. Myanmar (Burma)

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