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Collections

Unknown
Bhaishajyaguru, The Medicine Buddha18th century

On view:
Resnick Pavilion, floor 1
Bronze sculpture of a crowned seated figure in cross-legged pose, with greenish patina, beaded jewelry, and an elaborate flame-shaped crown and backrest, on a stepped inscribed pedestal
Bronze sculpture of a seated deity in profile, wearing an elaborate tiered crown with flame finial, adorned with jewelry and regalia, hands positioned at the lap, raised on a stepped rectangular pedestal with incised surface decoration; green patina throughout.
Bronze sculpture of a crowned deity seated in meditation posture on a tiered throne, with flame-like aureole rising behind; green patina with traces of red, finely cast ornamental jewelry and garments.
Bronze sculpture of a seated crowned deity in profile, with an elaborate tiered crown topped by a flame finial, green patina, raised on a stepped rectangular base.
Bronze sculpture of a crowned seated figure in meditation pose on a tiered throne base, with green patina, elaborate flame-and-scroll crown, beaded jewelry, and incised geometric patterns on the base.
Bronze sculpture of a crowned bodhisattva figure with green patina, wearing beaded necklaces, hands raised in anjali mudra, backed by an elaborate openwork flaming mandorla.
Bronze devotional figure with green patina, wearing an elaborate crown with flame-like projections and large openwork flanges extending to each side; incised decorative details on chest and headdress.
Close-up of a bronze sculptural detail showing a reclining figure in ornate jewelry and decorated garments, with green patina across the surface and finely cast relief work.
Artist or Maker
Unknown
Title
Bhaishajyaguru, The Medicine Buddha
Place Made
Myanmar (Burma), Shan States
Date Made
18th century
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
10 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 2 3/4 in. (26.67 x 12.07 x 6.99 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Michael Phillips
Accession Number
M.80.228.3
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
South and Southeast Asian Art
Curatorial Notes

This bronze sculpture represents Bhaishajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha. He holds a medicine bowl (patra) in his left hand displaying the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra). His right hand holds a myrobalan fruit, which is believed to have medicinal properties. The Buddha is adorned with copious jewelry and wears a distinctive crown composed of a circlet of openwork foliate appendages with a high chignon and jewel finial. The stylized crown form is said to be derived from the flowing ribbons attached to crowns in the Pala Dynasty of Eastern India (750–1161) and, thence, the art of Bagan (Pagan), Burma in the 9th-13th centuries. Crowned seated Buddhas of this type are popularly called Jambupati (Lord of the Rose Apple) in Burma and Thailand. Unknown in Indian sources, it relates to the story of the skeptical Indian king Jambupati who the Buddha awed and converted by manifesting in the sumptuous royal garb of a Universal Monarch (chakravartin). He is seated on a throne in the form of lotus base and multitiered pedestal. The structure of the throne is similar to that of M.78.129.

A comparable image is in the British Museum, London (1969,0211.1).

Selected Bibliography
  • Little, Stephen, Tushara Bindu Gude, Karina Romero Blanco, Silvia Seligson, Marco Antonio Karam. Las Huellas de Buda. Ciudad de México : Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2018.
  • Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.