This copper alloy (bronze) image depicts 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 bronze has been stylistically attributed to the region of Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, where there was the Chudamani Vihara (monastery) was founded in 1006 by Shri Mara Vijayottungavarman (r. circa 1008-1025) of the Srivijayan Empire (circa 671-1025) with the encouragement of the great Chola Dynasty monarch, Rajaraja Chola I (r. 1012-1014).
The Buddha has the standard iconographic features: snail-curl hair, a cranial protuberance (ushnisha) emblematic of his omniscience, elongated earlobes symbolizing his renunciation of the material world, and perhaps a sacred forehead marking (urna). A distinctive attribute of Nagapattinam Buddhas, as well as some Sri Lankan Buddha images, is a flame finial surmounting the ushnisha (see M.80.227). It was separately cast and is missing here. The cavity into which it was inserted may have also functioned as a reliquary chamber. The Buddha stands in the symmetrical frontal posture (samapada sthanaka) on a double lotus base on a tiered pedestal. His right hand is held in the gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra). His left hand is held in the gesture of charity (varada mudra).