Detail: side view

his large image represents the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Buddhism is a rational philosophy, developed some 2,500 years ago as a way of life based on the acceptance of worldly reality. Existence for the Buddhist is suffering, caused by desire. The goal of Buddhist teaching is to attain a release from existence, which in turn leads to the spiritual state of nirvana, the Buddhist heaven. The principal monument at Amaravati was a great stupa containing sacred relics, the focus of a grand complex of buildings. This ancient Buddhist centre lay on the Krishna River in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The free-standing sculptures and the reliefs on the dome and base of the stupa and the great railing surrounding it depict Buddhist themes and events in the life of Buddha. These wonderful images represent the commitment of early Buddhism expressed through the unique skill of the artist and the imperial grandeur of ancient India. The present torso is of a standing Buddha with his left arm in a raised posture.

From the reign of the emperor Ashoka in the third century bce, Buddhism became the major religion in Andhra Pradesh. The great stupa of Amaravati, now destroyed, was one of the most important ancient Indian architectural achievements, combining an original sculptural aesthetic with extraordinary craftsmanship. Built during the rule of the Satavahana kings in the second and third centuries, it fulfilled both a spiritual and an aesthetic civilizing role as a religious centre. The use of hard marble and the typical draped style of the uttarasangha are characteristic of the period [1].

Amaravati sculptures are among the highlights of the Indian sculptural tradition and may be compared with the greatest art of the ancient world [2]. The present torso is carved from a monumental and imposing block of pure marble that has been masterfully transformed into a shape of great dignity and spirituality. The folds are carved in an organic rhythm, breaking the volume and adding a lively character to the piece. This Amaravati sculpture is among the rare free-standing and more than life-size examples known in the world. Marks of age are revealed by the beautiful surface with extensive natural weathering and patina.

[1] A. K. Coomaraswamy, History of Indian and Indonesian Art, , 1972, no 137, 138, 139, page XXXIII. Standing Buddhas from Amaravati, in the Madras museum.

[2] R.Knox, Amaravati, Buddhist Sculpture from the Great Stupa, , 1992. The large collection of Amaravati sculptures and reliefs in the British museum rank with the Elgin marbles and the Assyrian reliefs along their greatest treasures.

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