Walking Buddha
Title:Walking Buddha
Artist:Artist Unknown
Date:Late Sukhothai period
Creation Place:Asia, Thailand
Credit Line:The William Hood Dunwoody Fund
Accession Number:31.115
The Buddha depicted walking with the left hand raised in the gesture of granting protection was popularized during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by Sukhothai sculpture. The figure displays the supernatural anatomy of the Buddha as described in ancient texts. Some of these features include projecting heels, long fingers, smooth skin the color of gold, and elongated arms. The walking Buddha type represents an episode from the Buddha legends, wherein he descends from heaven by walking down a ladder.