Collection record · Belief & ritual
Seated Buddha
The collection record classifies this work as lacquer. It is dated 1100s. Recorded culture or place: Burma (Myanmar).
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Seated Buddha
- Date
- 1100s
- Culture / origin
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Materials and technique
- Gilt lacquer on solid wood
- Dimensions
- Overall: 100 x 62 x 30 cm (39 3/8 x 24 7/16 x 11 13/16 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 2011.149
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
This rare image of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni is shown seated with crossed legs in the position of meditation. His left hand rests on his lap, referring to his meditation under the Bodhi tree, and his right hand is in the earth-touching gesture—calling the earth to witness his enlightenment. The Buddha sits on a double lotus pedestal that indicates the presence of a transcendent being.
The sculptural style is typical of sculptures made at the Buddhist site of Pagan. Sculptures such as this were installed in niches in an interior passage of a temple.
As is typical of Burmese works, this sculpture was carved from a solid piece of wood. Its surface was covered in black lacquer and then gilded; a great deal of the gilding remains intact. Because lacquer is an easily perishable material, works of this type and size are exceedingly rare; this sculpture is one of the best extant examples.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of Maxeen and John Flower in honor of Dr. Stanislaw Czuma · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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