In Good Faith: The Birth of Buddhism in India on Display in NYC

INDIAN EXPRESS
By Vandana Kalra

Dressed in a diaphanous robe, the calm sandstone Buddha has
survived numerous centuries and also travelled numerous countries.

NEW YORK---Dressed in a diaphanous robe, the calm sandstone Buddha has survived numerous centuries and also travelled numerous countries. Carved in Sarnath sometime in the beginning of the sixth century, it is a diminutive six-and-a-half inch tall sculpture. The flexed posture and characteristic fine-grained sandstone affirm its origin. In the collection of National Museum, Bangkok, it was possibly commissioned for export, perhaps by a monk returning to his monastery after a period of study in northern India. After all, Buddhism in that period left its imprint across Southeast Asia, much like Hinduism. An exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, called “Lost Kingdoms Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century” is now exploring sculptural art produced in the earliest kingdoms of Southeast Asia. [link]