- Title
- Head of Buddha Shakyamuni
- Date Made
- 4th century
- Medium
- Stucco with traces of paint
- Dimensions
- 26 3/4 x 19 1/2 x 17 7/8 in. (67.95 x 49.53 x 45.4 cm)
- Accession Number
- 50.25
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
This oversize hollow head of Buddha Shakyamuni would have originally measured more than 30 inches tall when its cranial protuberance (ushnisha) emblematic of his omniscience was intact. The head would have been attached to a monumental image of the Buddha, either seated or standing. Such colossal Buddha images, especially made in stucco, are known from various archaeological sites in the Gandhara region of ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Buddha’s heavily-lidded pensive eyes convey his compassion for all sentient beings. His wavy hair is characteristic of Gandharan sculpture (see M.91.90). The head was originally painted (see M.55.1 and M.80.6.4).
The head was once in the inventory of the preeminent Parisian art dealer, C. T. Loo (1880-1957).
- Selected Bibliography
- Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.
