2-723-928 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Bodhisattva, late 100s. Bodhisattvas, who are one stage away from complete enlightenment, are depicted as royal figures, since the Buddha himself was a prince before he renounced that life and finally achieved enlightenment. The halo is the only aspect that distinguishes him from the figure of a king. He wears elaborate jewelry, including a string of amulets diagonally across his chest. The garments are Indian, but the muscular torso is derived from Greco-Roman sources.