Pakistan, Gandhara, Kushan period / late 100s CE
Bodhisattva
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Bodhisattva as sculpture (Pakistan, Gandhara, Kushan period · late 100s CE).
Bodhisattvas, who are one stage away from complete enlightenment, are depicted as royal figures because the Buddha himself was a prince before he renounced that life and finally achieved enlightenment. He wears elaborate jewelry, including a string of amulets diagonally across his chest.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as schist.
The museum's collection notes: Bodhisattvas, who are one stage away from complete enlightenment, are depicted as royal figures because the Buddha himself was a prince before he renounced that life and finally achieved enlightenment. He wears elaborate jewelry, including a string of amulets diagonally across his chest. The garments are Indian, but the muscular torso is derived from Greco-Roman sources.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBodhisattvaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.