Staring straight at the viewer, this powerfully rendered head once belonged to an over life-size representation of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (traditionally dated to 563–483 BCE). His birth name was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born a prince in Lumbini, Nepal, but renounced his royal life to live as a wandering ascetic. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, he was given the title, Buddha Shakyamuni (The Awakened One, Sage of the Shakya clan). He presented his First Sermon at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, and then traveled for more than four decades throughout northern India teaching and establishing a monastic order with monks and nuns. He reached his final enlightenment (mahaparinirvana) when he died in Kushinagara, Uttar Pradesh. The Buddha is portrayed with a now-damaged cranial protuberance that was originally covered by a topknot. It represents his omniscience and enlightened insight. His empty elongated earlobes, distended from wearing heavy gold earrings as a prince, symbolize his abandonment of the mundane world. His closely cropped hair indicates his adoption of ascetic practices after cutting off his long locks worn as a prince. Between his eyes at the bridge of his nose is a small circle known as an urna. Described in texts as a whorl of hair, it is a sacred marking that signifies his prominence and enlightenment.

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