Decorated Buddha Standing 70cm

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£450 In stock

The Mahayana describes the concept of the three bodies of Buddha: the historical body of Siddhartha Gautama visible to man, the ‘enjoyment body’ perceived by the bodhisattva (simply, anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for themselves, but for everybody), and the ‘truth body’ as seen by the the Buddhas. Decorated Buddhas show an aspect of the enjoyment body, such as this beautiful hardwood statue of a 12/13th century bronze specimen that is now in a private collection. The decorated Buddha contrasts with the choice of poverty made in reality by Buddha, a wandering ascetic. The fact that temporal power was attributed to him by the Khmer kings led to this iconographic development.