A limestone statue dated 583, Sui dynasty China, showing Buddha Maitreya flanked by his two chief disciples, the young Ananda at the right and the elder Kasyapa at the left, the standard Mahayana triad composition. Held today by the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession 68.124, Anonymous Gift, 1968.
Facts
Subject Matter
Devotional FunctionArt historians situate Sui dynasty commissions of Maitreya triads such as this one within the dynasty's own founders' patronage of Maitreya worship as a source of political legitimacy, since presenting a reign as coinciding with the future Buddha's advent was a recognised strategy of rulers across several Chinese dynasties that favored Maitreya imagery. 1 Physical Form
MediumLimestone statue, dated 583, Sui dynasty, China, Metropolitan Museum of Art 68.124 1 Medium (class) Connections
Associated With
This source names Maitreya directly: "583, Sui dynasty China, showing Buddha Maitreya flanked by his two chief disciples, the young Ananda at the right and the elder Kasyapa at the left, the standard Mahayana triad composition."
Source Buddha Maitreya with Ananda and Kasyapa, accession 68.124 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Belongs to Tradition
Source Buddha Maitreya with Ananda and Kasyapa, accession 68.124 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Depicts
The Met's own collection API title names Ananda directly as one of the two disciple figures flanking Buddha Maitreya, the standard Mahayana triad the corroborating Wikipedia record confirms is his conventional iconographic placement, at the Buddha's right beside Kasyapa at the left.
Source Buddha Maitreya with Ananda and Kasyapa, accession 68.124 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Additional Source Ananda (Wikipedia)
Originated In
China, Regions Source Buddha Maitreya with Ananda and Kasyapa, accession 68.124 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Sources
1. Buddha Maitreya with Ananda and Kasyapa, accession 68.124 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Metropolitan Museum of Artcatalogue record, medium/object-type description
A limestone statue dated 583, Sui dynasty China, showing Buddha Maitreya flanked by his two chief disciples, the young Ananda at the right and the elder Kasyapa at the left, the standard Mahayana triad composition.
Originated In: China, Collection record: culture, country and region fields
China
View the Source Ananda (Wikipedia)
WikipediaDepicts: AnandaQuote, Depicts: Ananda
In Mahayana iconography, Ananda is often depicted flanking the Buddha at the right side, together with Mahakassapa at the left.
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