Shakyamuni
Unknown Artist
c. 900
Medium
wood with lacquer and traces of color
Dimensions
57.2 × 46.4 × 38.1 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
1986.7
About this artwork
This image of Shakyamuni, the Buddha, or “awakened one,” who lived during the 500s or 400s BCE, is carved from one piece of wood. The distinctive pattern of thick, raised garment folds is characteristic of Japanese Buddhist sculpture of the 800s and 900s. Shakyamuni’s elongated ears and curled hair are among the physical attributes described in sacred texts that distinguish him as a Buddha.