Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Shakyamuni Buddha

ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ། 释迦牟尼佛
(item no. 499)
Origin Location China
Date Range 1700 - 1799
Lineages Uncertain
Size 71.12x40.64cm (28x16in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment, Fine Gold Line, Black Background on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Catalogue # acc.# F1996.27.3
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Interpretation / Description

Shakyamuni Buddha in a standing posture following the legend of the image said to be produced by King Udrayana during the life-time of the historical Buddha.

In the 19th and early 20th century there was a famous Sandalwood Buddha installed in a temple in Beijing. That same sculpture was also believed to be the very sculpture produced at the time of the first painting of the Buddha. The Beijing sculpture disappeared during the upheavals at the beginning of the 20th century. It is said by some that it was removed from Beijing and taken to Buryat in Siberia, modern day Russia, for safe keeping. The location in Buryat is the Egetui Buddhist Monastery. This sandalwood statue in Buryat is also considered one of the treasures of the Buddhist community.

Jeff Watt 8-2010

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Shakyamuni Buddha: Main Page
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 3
Painting Type: Black Ground Main Page
Painting Style: Chinese
Subject: Art Depicted in Art
Subject: Art Depicted in Art (Paintings of Known Sculpture)
Shakyamuni Buddha: Sandalwood Buddha Main Page
Painting Type: Black Ground (Qianlong Period)