Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Buddha in Meditation
Not on view
The Buddha sits on a lotus throne, his hands resting in a meditation gesture. The open robe, with the right shoulder exposed, points to southern Indian or Sri Lankan influences. It was found at the mouth of the Mekong Delta, downstream from the Funan political center Oc Eo. Sanskrit letters are incised on three petals, spelling, in part, Suryadatta—possibly the name of the donor; other syllables may be honorifics associated with the name or may be protective spells (dharani), charms generating mystical power.
cat. no. 47
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