The Buddha ("Awakened One")

Object Details

• Label

  Sitting with one hand in his lap and the other extended downward, this Buddha exudes stillness and serenity. His earth-touching gesture symbolizes the moment of enlightenment, while his golden body, urna (forehead dot), and ushnisha (cranial bump) indicate his superhuman perfection. His patchwork robe and elongated earlobes are reminders that at Bodh Gaya in Bihar the historical Buddha gave up royal garments and heavy earrings to become a renouncer.

  The hollow-cast copper image was created for an altar in Tibet, where gold was highly prized for its everlasting radiance. It was gilded in a process that demands skill and precision. A mixture of gold and mercury was applied to the surface and heated until the mercury evaporated and the gold adhered to the copper. The gilded surface then was polished with a smooth stone, and the eyes, mouth, and hair were painted.

• Provenance

  ?-1997

  Kapoor Galleries, Inc., New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1997

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from Kapoor Galleries, Inc. [2]

  Notes:

  [1] The sculpture was transferred from the Kapoor Galleries, Inc. to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for examination on December 27, 1996. See letter from the Registrar to Ramesh C. Kapoor, Kapoor Galleries, Inc., dated December 18, 1996, copy in object file. See also Kapoor Galleries, Inc., invoice issued by Ramesh C. Kapoor, dated December 18, 1996, copy in object file. Object is described as “Seated figure of ‘Budha Shakyamuni’, Copper with gold gilding Tibet, circa 14th century.”

  Kapoor Galleries, Inc., is a dealer in New York, NY, founded in 1975 by Ramesh Kapoor and Urmil Kapoor and later joined by Ramesh's son, Suneet Kapoor. Kapoor Galleries, Inc., specializes in art from Indian and the Himalayas, specifically bronzes, sculptures, miniatures, and thangkas. Clients of Kapoor Galleries, Inc., have included private collectors and institutions, such as museums. The gallery has exhibited at art fairs including Asia Week in New York. Ramesh Kapoor's has been active as an art dealer since 1958.

  [2] See “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on March 3, 1997, copy in object file.

  Research updated May 8, 2024

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)

  Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia (October 14, 2017 to February 6, 2022)

  Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas (May 4, 1988 to July 9, 2017)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Kapoor Galleries, Inc. (established 1975)

• Origin

  Central Tibet

• Credit Line

  Purchase -- funds provided by the Friends of Asian Arts in honor of the 10th Anniversary of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

• Type

  Sculpture

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1400s, 1300s

• Name

  Kapoor Galleries, Inc.

• Place

  Tibet

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Sculpture, Enlightenment, Gautama Buddha, Bhumisparsha mudra, Metal-work

• Culture

  Buddhists, Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Sculpture