Head
700-900
Bronze
Height 108 cm
Museum no. M.3-1936

This enormous bronze head is all that remains of a standing or seated statue of the Buddha. When it was new, the paint over the top of the bronze would have been much brighter.

The founder of Buddhism, an Indian prince who renounced all his earthly ambitions, is often called Buddha. He is said to have cut his long hair with a sword when he left the palace and his hair sprang into tight curls. His earlobes were stretched into a long pendant shape by the heavy jewellery he wore as a prince. Statues sometimes show signs of his early life. The word Buddha means 'one who knows' and is used for any enlightened soul that has attained the final state of nothingness. Statues of Buddha are therefore not always an image of the historic founder.