The Buddha Shakyamuni

The Buddha Shakyamuni, wearing the patched robe of a monk, is identified in Mongolia and Tibet by his alms bowl and the earthtouching gesture. His broad chest, high throne, and the gilded double thunderbolt incised on the underside of the pedestal (not visible here) are typical of the works of the famous Mongolian sculptor Zanabazar (1635–1724) and his school. Zanabazar was the first leader of the Gelug order in Mongolia, the region’s most important reincarnated lama, and the inventor of the Mongolian alphabet.