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Bodhisattva in Contemplation
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Bodhisattva in Contemplation
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Bodhisattva in Contemplation
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Bodhisattva in Contemplation
KOREA; Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE–668 CE); Gilt bronze; H: 83.2 cm; National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
Statues in this pose can be traced to the Mogao Caves whose artwork dates to around the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). The image of the contemplative Prince Siddhartha was combined with the popular belief of Maitreya during the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei (534-550), and Northern Qi (550-577) dynasties, and so the image of the contemplative Maitreya started to spread. This statue was listed as National Treasure No. 78 in 1962.
Maitreya sits in the relaxation posture on a high bench overspread with a cloth. The figure wears a decorated floral crown with hanging side straps and the hair is in braids that drape down the back. A shawl is wrapped about the shoulders while a stole trails over one arm to the long skirt beneath. A lotus flower supports the pendent leg. |
