Artist: unknown
Title: Seated Buddha
Material: gilt bronze
Site: unknown
Current Location: Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Period/Date: Dated 338 C.E.
Iconography/Iconology:
Stylistic Comments: The more East Asian type facial features are apparent in this figure. The eyes have virtually no epithelial folds and the nose is less aquiline and broader that the Indian Gandharan type. The Buddha's face has the characteristic mask-like appearance of Buddhist images throughout the world. This is a result of textual references which state that a Buddha is ten times more beautiful than the gods who are themselves ten times more beautiful than humans. Throughout the Buddhist world, artists have interpreted this notion as a perfect, unblemished mask-like appearance. The fire gilding on this image was originally very thick and has only deteriorated due to the corrosion of the bronze underneath it.
