RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART
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| Image: Standing Buddha Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India; 5th century, Gupta period (320-550 CE) |
NEW YORK---According to legend the first image of the Buddha was not only drawn from life but was itself alive. It was carved on the order of an Indian king who longed for the Buddha’s presence after the Buddha had left his kingdom. When the Buddha returned the image rose to greet him. Replicas of the miraculous
image were produced in India, China, and Japan. This talk explores the transmission of this legend, and the replication of this legendary image in Japan, where it served to bridge the temporal and spatial gulf between Buddhist devotees and the object of their devotion. [
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