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A limestone sculpture of a standing body. The head, forearms, and feet have been broken off.

The light grey limestone sculpture is of a body standing upright and facing the viewer. The body’s head, forearms, and feet have been broken off. The body is slender, has a flat chest, and narrow hips.

Gallery Text

Although its head, forearms, and lower legs are now lost, this majestic figure’s simple clothing identifies it as an image of the Buddha. A finely incised line at the abdomen and subtle ridges at the neck and shins mark the edges of the upper and lower garments of the Buddha’s monastic robes. Although intended to be viewed primarily from the front, it was conceived as a freestanding sculpture, as evidenced by its finished, gently modeled back. The forearms would likely have projected forward in a mudra, or symbolic hand gesture, associated with the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Created during the Dvaravati period (6th–11th century), when Buddhism first flourished and Indian sculptural styles were introduced in Thailand, this sculpture reflects the influence of the late fifth-century Indian Gupta style, with its exquisitely subtle modeling, harmonious composition, and delicate balance between areas of light and shadow.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1988.427
Title
Standing Buddha
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
figure, sculpture
Date
7th-8th century
Places
Creation Place: Southeast Asia, Thailand
Period
Dvaravati period, 4th-8th century
Culture
Thai
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/303417

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1610, Buddhist Sculpture, Buddhism and Early East Asian Buddhist Art
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Light gray limestone (known as greenstone); Mon-Gupta style
Dimensions
H. 58.4 x W. 25.4 x D. 8.9 cm (23 x 10 x 3 1/2 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[Spink and Son Ltd., London, 1988] sold; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1988.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Louis Sidney Thierry Memorial Fund and through the Ernest B. and Helen Pratt Dane Fund for Asian Art
Accession Year
1988
Object Number
1988.427
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Publication History

  • "Acquisitions", Director's Report (Harvard University Art Museums) (1988/1989), 36-44, p. 38-39.
  • James Cuno, Alvin L. Clark, Jr., Ivan Gaskell, and William W. Robinson, Harvard's Art Museums: 100 Years of Collecting, ed. James Cuno, Harvard University Art Museums and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, 1996), pp. 84-85
  • Masterpieces of world art : Fogg Art Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, 1997
  • Stephan Wolohojian and Alvin L. Clark, Jr., Harvard Art Museum/ Handbook, ed. Stephan Wolohojian, Harvard Art Museum (Cambridge, 2008), p. 31

Exhibition History

  • S424: Indian and Southeast Asian Sculpture, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 10/20/1985 - 08/01/2008
  • Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013
  • 32Q: 2740 Buddhist II, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 06/13/2024
  • 32Q: 1610 Buddhist Art I, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/18/2024 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Collection Highlights
  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu