An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Standing Buddha591
This bronze Buddha is exceptional, because it carries an inscription on its base that dates its manufacture to the year 591. According to the inscription, the sculpture was dedicated by a nun who was from a village in Nepal, but she probably commissioned it at a workshop in northern India.<br><br>The Buddha's robe on this image has been left plain, without pleat lines to obscure the beauty of the contours of the body. Only the rippling scalloped clusters of the garment’s hem lend some sense of energy and subtle ornament to the composition.
Around the time when this sculpture was made, portable bronzes began to replace relics as the principal sacred commodity circulating in the Buddhist world.
bronze
Overall: 46.5 x 15.4 x 13.4 cm (18 5/16 x 6 1/16 x 5 1/4 in.); without base: 35 x 13.8 x 10.5 cm (13 3/4 x 5 7/16 x 4 1/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
In a quiet corner of the world, where time seems to stand still, there exists a bronze Buddha, shimmering softly under the gentle touch of sunlight. Its presence is awe-inspiring, with a base that whispers secrets from the past—inscribed for all who seek to listen. This humble sculpture, crafted in the year 591, tells a tale that reaches back to a time long forgotten.
Picture a serene village nestled in the lush greenery of Nepal. There, amidst the rustling leaves and the gentle flow of a nearby stream, lived a devoted nun. Her heart was consumed by a singular purpose, a divine aspiration that drove her to express her faith and reverence. She journeyed far, crossing mountains and rivers, to a distant workshop in northern India, a place where skilled artisans transformed ideas into tangible beauty.
It was here that she commissioned this magnificent piece, a token of her devotion. As the artisans worked with careful hands, every detail was imbued with her spirit. The Buddha’s robe, though unadorned and plain, exudes profound grace. It skirts the contours of the body, leaving the physical form unobscured, inviting onlookers to ponder the deeper meaning within. Only the gentle scallops at the hem of the garment inject a hint of life into the otherwise still figure, like whispers of a soft breeze threading through a tranquil landscape.
The bronze reflects not just light, but also the hopes and dreams of that nun, a thread connecting the past with the present. She dedicated this statue not merely as art, but as a vessel of peace, bridging her world with the divine, inviting all who encounter it to pause and contemplate the beauty found in simplicity.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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