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Shakyamuni Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness his Enlightenment

1000–1100s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Carved in a soft stone that approximates ivory, the central image of the historical Buddha at the moment of his enlightenment is surrounded by scenes from his own life, including his death at the top. The scenes are arranged not strictly chronologically, but aesthetically, such that the scenes where he is standing or seated are paired.

A prayer written in a 12th-century Newari script indicates that this Indian sculpture was taken to Nepal. Buddhist travelers brought easily transportable personal devotional sculptures out of India to the Himalayas, where they served as models for local artists. Such works were valued abroad for their proximity to the source of Buddhism, founded in India during the 400s BC.

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Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: Shakyamuni Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness his Enlightenment
  • Date Created: 1000–1100s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 8.2 x 6.1 cm (3 1/4 x 2 3/8 in.)
  • Provenance: Claude De Marteau [d. 2017], Brussels, Belgium, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1965.27
  • Medium: Kaolinite
  • Inscriptions: At the top: Om muni muni mahamuni Shakyamunya svaha. Below: Ye dharma hetu prabhava hetu tesam tathagata hya vadat
  • Fun Fact: Kaolinite is a mineral that is actually a type of clay.
  • Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Culture: Northeast India
  • Credit Line: Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
  • Collection: Indian Art
  • Accession Number: 1965.27
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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