Five-Deity Mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni
See it in the Museum
India and Nepal
Orientation 3
Display 4
ABS 115
Code: ABS 115
Country: India (north-east)
Style: Late Pala Style
Date: 1050 - 1150
Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 7.8 x 14.6 x 7.8
Materials: Brass; solid cast in ten or more parts
Buddha Shakyamuni mandala
This rare icon cast in the late Pala style is arranged as a mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha is seated in the centre of the mandala in the meditation posture on a double lotus pedestal, his hands joined in the teaching gesture. The upper monastic garment is rendered with few folds and covers the left shoulder only. The three-dimensional mandala is constructed in such a way that the closed object represents the bud of an eight-leaved lotus flower. The images thus only become visible when the lotus flower is open. To each of the eight lotus petals originally there were separately cast objects attached. In the case of the 5-Deity mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni, there would have been two male and two female attendant deities attached to four of the petals. The other four lotus petals would have been ornamented with Buddhist emblems.
This rare icon cast in the late Pala style is arranged as a mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha is seated in the centre of the mandala in the meditation posture on a double lotus pedestal, his hands joined in the teaching gesture. The upper monastic garment is rendered with few folds and covers the left shoulder only. The three-dimensional mandala is constructed in such a way that the closed object represents the bud of an eight-leaved lotus flower. The images thus only become visible when the lotus flower is open. To each of the eight lotus petals originally there were separately cast objects attached. In the case of the 5-Deity mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni, there would have been two male and two female attendant deities attached to four of the petals. The other four lotus petals would have been ornamented with Buddhist emblems.