Fang Xuanling Pedestal

Why it matters

This double lotus pedestal exhibits the rich, ornate style of early Tang sculpture. It was commissioned by the Duke of Liang, Fang Xuanling (578–648), for the blessing of his second son and daughter-in-law, the Tang imperial princess of Gaoyang. The iconography and inscription suggest that it originally went with a statue, now missing, of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, instead of Amitayus. Today the pedestal is topped with Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, seated in meditation. Although the pedestal was not made with the statue, the combination is faithful to the original artistic conception.