Khmer Bronze Sculpture of the Buddha, 1200 CE - 1300 CE
Bronze
height 20 cm
height 7 7/8 in
height 7 7/8 in
FZ.414
The Khmer civilization, today embodied by the temple and ruins of Angkor, one of mankind's most astonishin and enduring architectural achievements, flourishe from 802-1431 A.D. From the great citadel of...
The Khmer civilization, today embodied by the temple and ruins of Angkor, one of mankind's most astonishin and enduring architectural achievements, flourishe from 802-1431 A.D. From the great citadel of Angkor,
the kings of the Khmer empire ruled over a vast domai that reached from what is now southern Vietnam t Yunnan, China and from Vietnam westward to the Bay o Bengal. The original city was built around the Phno Bakeng, a temple on a hill symbolizing the mountai that stands in the center of the world according t Hindu cosmology. Successive kings enlarged the city,
building other temples devoted to various Hind deities and large reservoirs used for irrigation,
which also symbolized the ocean surrounding the hol central mountain.
The Bayon style of Khmer art flourished under the rul of a wise and powerful monarch, Jayavarman VII. Th sculpture became more life-like, reflecting more of human ideal of beauty than the monumental art of th previous Brahmanic periods. Bayon works combined tempered realism with an intense expressiveness. Th famous “Angkor smile,” as epitomized by the swee visage of this bronze Buddha, dates to this period.
The Bayon period was characterized by its allegianc to the Sakyamuni, a temporary religious trend tha would only last until the resurgence of Brahmani sects shortly after the passing of Jayavarman VII.
The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is th Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highes evolutionary perfection, turns suffering int happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C.
somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and th Rapti River, his father was a Raja who ruled over th northeastern province of India, the district includin the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married t Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and togethe they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he lef his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify hi body and make it an instrument of the mind by riddin himself of earthly impulses and temptations.
Here, the Buddha rests upon a stylized lotus throne,
or padmapitha, a symbol of his divine birth and tota purity, posing in the Bhumisparsa mudra, or “gestur of touching the earth.” This mudra portrays the Buddh taking the earth as witness; it is a gesture o unshakable faith and resolution. The large conica bump on top of his head, known as an ushnisa,
symbolizes his overwhelming wisdom. His earlobes droo downwards, having been pulled by the heavy earrings h wore in his youth, reflecting his wealthy origins. However, he left this life of luxury behind and i shown here wearing only simple monastic robes. Mor than a gorgeous work of art, this sculpture is memorial to perhaps the most flourishing creativ period in the great history of Angkor.
the kings of the Khmer empire ruled over a vast domai that reached from what is now southern Vietnam t Yunnan, China and from Vietnam westward to the Bay o Bengal. The original city was built around the Phno Bakeng, a temple on a hill symbolizing the mountai that stands in the center of the world according t Hindu cosmology. Successive kings enlarged the city,
building other temples devoted to various Hind deities and large reservoirs used for irrigation,
which also symbolized the ocean surrounding the hol central mountain.
The Bayon style of Khmer art flourished under the rul of a wise and powerful monarch, Jayavarman VII. Th sculpture became more life-like, reflecting more of human ideal of beauty than the monumental art of th previous Brahmanic periods. Bayon works combined tempered realism with an intense expressiveness. Th famous “Angkor smile,” as epitomized by the swee visage of this bronze Buddha, dates to this period.
The Bayon period was characterized by its allegianc to the Sakyamuni, a temporary religious trend tha would only last until the resurgence of Brahmani sects shortly after the passing of Jayavarman VII.
The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is th Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highes evolutionary perfection, turns suffering int happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C.
somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and th Rapti River, his father was a Raja who ruled over th northeastern province of India, the district includin the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married t Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and togethe they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he lef his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify hi body and make it an instrument of the mind by riddin himself of earthly impulses and temptations.
Here, the Buddha rests upon a stylized lotus throne,
or padmapitha, a symbol of his divine birth and tota purity, posing in the Bhumisparsa mudra, or “gestur of touching the earth.” This mudra portrays the Buddh taking the earth as witness; it is a gesture o unshakable faith and resolution. The large conica bump on top of his head, known as an ushnisa,
symbolizes his overwhelming wisdom. His earlobes droo downwards, having been pulled by the heavy earrings h wore in his youth, reflecting his wealthy origins. However, he left this life of luxury behind and i shown here wearing only simple monastic robes. Mor than a gorgeous work of art, this sculpture is memorial to perhaps the most flourishing creativ period in the great history of Angkor.