Shakyamuni Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness by Anonymous

Shakyamuni Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness c. 18th century

bronze, sculpture

2d character

3d sculpting

sculpture

bronze

3d character model

sculptural image

unrealistic statue

sculpting

underpainting

sculpture

3d character modeling

statue

This 18th-century bronze sculpture, depicting Shakyamuni Buddha in the "earth-witnessing" gesture, is a powerful example of Buddhist art. The serene expression and the gesture of the right hand touching the earth, a reference to a key moment in the Buddha's enlightenment, are characteristic of this type of Buddhist imagery. The sculpture, currently located at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, demonstrates the artistry and religious significance of Buddhist devotional objects from this period.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Holding his left hand palm up in his lap and extending his right hand to touch the ground before him, this Burmese image of the historical buddha, Shakyamuni, makes a gesture known as bhumisparsha-mudra, or “calling the earth to witness.” It is a depiction of the moment immediately after his enlightenment. While meditating, the Buddha was bombarded by an army of demons sent by Mara, but he was able to overcome these distractions and achieve enlightenment. Mara tried to claim the Buddha’s enlightenment as his own, with the demon hoards as his witnesses, but the Buddha, reaching out his right hand to touch the ground before him, called upon the earth itself to bear witness to this achievement. Depictions of this moment in the Buddha’s life are particularly common in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand, whereas they are rarely seen in East Asian cultures like China and Japan.