Bodhisattva Seated with One Leg Pendent

Here we see a figure sitting with one leg crossed over the other and the fingers of the right hand touching the cheek. This pose originated in the Bodhisattva statues of the ancient India kingdom of Gandhara. Later, during the Northern and Southern dynasties period in China, this pose was used to represent the Buddha himself before he abandoned his life as Prince Siddhartha and dedicated himself to religious practice. It is also thought that in Japan, this pose was used to depict the Bodhisattva Maitreya, who resides in and pursues his religious training in the heavenly realm of Tusita. One theory suggests that the mountain images on the base of this sculpture are meant to signify that the figure resides in this kind of heavenly realm.

The head is large and the body has a delicate physique, like that of a child. This style of Buddhist sculpture was popular in the latter half of the seventh century, towards the end of the Asuka period. The double eyelids were also often seen in the sculpture of this era. This work also features rich decoration, such as patterns of circles at the hems and borders of the garment. It differs from early Asuka period Buddhist sculptures in that the body appears more natural and has more depth when observed from the side.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.