Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating in the Indrashala Cave [top] and Buddha Dipankara [bottom]
2nd/3rd century
![Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating in the Indrashala Cave [top] and Buddha Dipankara [bottom] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/aic/thumb/buddha-shakyamuni-meditating-in-the-indrashala-aic-151081.webp)
Medium
Schist
Dimensions
60 × 37.1 × 7.3 cm (23 5/8 × 14 5/8 × 2 7/8 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151081
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The upper register of this narrative frieze depicts the historical Buddha Shakyamuni serenely seated in meditation in the Indrashala cave. When Indra, the king of the gods, visits him there, the Buddha delivers a sermon that converts him to Buddhism, while acolytes fold their hands in veneration. The lower panel portrays the story of Sumati from the Dipankara jataka, a tale of one of the Buddha’s former lives. Sumati, a wealthy Brahmin turned renunciant, lies face down spreading his matted hair ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...