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Secondary sourceSculpture

The Buddha between two bodhisattvas

A bronze sculpture showing the Buddha teaching, flanked by the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani.

A later Buddhist sculpture placing the Buddha at the centre of a group with bodhisattvas, showing his elevated status in tradition.

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Dark bronze sculpture of three seated figures on a tiered base. A central seated Buddha with raised right hand and flame-topped hair is flanked by two seated bodhisattvas wearing crowns and jewelry, each on a lotus pedestal. Plain grey background.
The Buddha between two bodhisattvas, bronze sculpture. Rijksmuseum.

About this source

What it is

This bronze sculpture, held by the Rijksmuseum, shows the Buddha seated between two bodhisattvas, probably Avalokiteshvara on his right and Vajrapani on his left. The Buddha makes the gesture of teaching with his right hand and wears a simple monk's robe.

Why it matters

Although dressed simply, the museum notes that the Buddha's central and higher position in the composition marks him as more than an ordinary monk, pointing to his special status. Grouping him with bodhisattvas, figures understood in later Buddhist tradition as compassionate helpers on the path to enlightenment, shows how his image developed within a wider system of Buddhist belief long after his own lifetime.

Look closer

  • How does the sculpture use position and height, rather than clothing, to show the Buddha's status?
  • Why might artists have chosen to show the Buddha together with other spiritual figures?
  • What questions would you ask a historian about who made this and why?

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