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Mathura: Amitabha Buddha Pedestal with Inscriptions
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Mathura: Amitabha Buddha Pedestal with Inscriptions
INDIA, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura; circa 106; Sandstone; H: 7.5 cm; Government Museum, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
The remains of this work were unearthed at Govind Nagar, Mathura, in 1996. It has been dated by experts to 106. The inscription on the base identifies it as a statue of Amitabha Buddha that was dedicated by a rich merchant as an offering to all the Buddhas. The remains of a decorated mandorla can still be detected, while a lotus is located between the feet.
There have been many Indian sculptures depicting Sakyamuni that date from before the Kushan period (circa 1st–3rd century), but no earlier statue of Amitabha confirmed by an inscription has ever been found. Since the origin of faith in this Buddha in India had eluded scholars hitherto, the discovery has been invaluable, despite its damaged state. |
