Item: Shakyamuni Buddha
| Origin Location | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1700 - 1799 |
| Lineages | Uncertain |
| Material | Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton |
| Collection | Tibet House, New York |
Classification: Person
Shakyamuni Buddha (Tibetan: sha kya thu pa, sang gye, English: the Sage of the Shakya Clan, Enlightened One). The surrounding narrative of the painting depicts the entire life story of Shakymuni Buddha in a single composition.
Peaceful and smiling, he extends the right arm across the knee in the earth touching mudra (gesture). The left hand is placed palm upward in the lap in the mudra of meditation. Attired in the orange and red patchwork robes of a monk he sits atop a multi-coloured lotus seat, surrounded by a nimbus of radiant light and a bright red aureola.
At the top right a narrative scene depicts the birth of the prince Gautama (Siddhartha) beneath a tree. The life story unfolds following clockwise around the central figure.
Jeff Watt 2-2000
Shakyamuni Buddha: Main Page
Collection of Tibet House: New York (Repatriation)
Shakyamuni Buddha: Life-story (Single Composition)