Buddha

Deep in meditation, with eyes half-closed and hand raised in blessing, the Buddha stands at ease. His crease-less transparent robe draws attention to his body. Pilgrims would have encountered this statue at Sarnath, the site of Buddha’s ‘First Sermon’, which was already a major devotional centre. The decorated halo, tight curls and webbed hands carved in local buff sandstone are typical of Sarnath sculptures under the Gupta dynasty. This is an outstanding example of early northern Indian art, deriving from local traditions.