Object Number: VRM_217

Dimensions: 106 x 49 cm

Material: Sandstone

Find Location: Biharoil, Tanor, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh

Date: 5th Century CE

The first representations of the Buddha did not depict him in human form. Rather, veneration was directed towards symbols, including his footprints, an empty throne, a tree representing his enlightenment or a wheel reflecting his teachings. Lifelike representations of the Buddha emerged later as a powerful teaching aid and method of explaining the traditions of Buddhism to new communities as it spread across Asia.

In these first human depictions, the Buddha is represented as serene, and in a meditative state. His hair is drawn up into a top-knot, or ushnisha, which indicates wisdom, and his elongated earlobes are a reminder of the former weight of the jewellery that was discarded when the Buddha renounced his princely life.

The Guptas provided support to multiple religions, including Buddhism, and helped develop pilgrimage sites such as Sarnath in India, where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Sarnath was a famous centre for artwork, and sculptures made there were serene and introspective in expression with down-cast eyes, and very subtle garments. These sculptures were also mainly carved in a light, almost cream coloured sandstone.

This standing Buddha statue shares many similarities with others carved at Sarnath and it is likely that it was brought to Rajshahi to be placed in a Buddhist temple through Gupta patronage. This shows how areas across their Empire were drawn together through networks of belief, as well as trade and political control.