China, Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) / c. 570s
Stele with Shakyamuni and Maitreya
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Stele with Shakyamuni and Maitreya as sculpture (China, Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) · c. 570s).
Shakyamuni, or the historical Buddha, was a prince who gave up his earthly possessions for spiritual transcendence.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as marble with polychromy.
The museum's collection notes: In this stele, Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha) bears a benign smile in the hand gestures of fearlessness and gift giving. He is flanked by two bodhisattvas and two disciples-all standing against a mandorla (almond-shaped halo) adorned with a stupa and flying heavenly beings. On the reverse side, the Buddha sits in a pensive pose with his head tilted, mediating under twin sala trees. This position is reserved for Shakyamuni’s first meditation or Maitreya’s meditation. The joint appearance of Shakyamuni and Maitreya (the future Buddha) on two sides of a stele was a favorite scheme of the Northern Qi period.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtStele with Shakyamuni and MaitreyaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.