Antiquity · Rijksmuseum · 200106512
The bodhisattva Maitreya
anonymous, Gandhara, c. 200 - c. 300
Rijksmuseum · Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · AK-MAK-1188 · Public Domain · Bruikleen van de Koninklijke Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst (schenking Vereniging Rembrandt, 1968) · Public domain
- Artist
- anonymous, Gandhara
- Date
- c. 200 - c. 300
- Medium
- slate; dye; gilding
- Dimensions
- width 30 cm × depth 12 cm × height 52 cm
- Era
- Antiquity
Why it matters
Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, is making the abhaya mudra, or '˜fear not' gesture. His webbed fingers are a sign of his divine nature. This figure shows that Buddhist art in Gandhara, which was in contact via trade routes with regions around the Mediterranean Sea, was influenced by Greco-Roman sculpture. The drapery folds of the Maitreya's lower garment, for instance, recall Roman figures, while his hairstyle is based on representations of the Greek god Apollo.