Head Of The Buddha Research Paper

In the Minneapolis Art Institute, there are many sculptures that deal with Buddhist tradition and religion. This is especially true when it comes to depictions of the Head of the Buddha. First, the head itself appears to be carved out of some sort of yellow or brown rock, possibly sandstone or limestone. The Head of the Buddha has many distinct features that separate it from others. First and probably most noticeable are the elongated ears on both sides of the head. Both ear lobes appear to fall to the base of the neck and are quite large in size. The ears themselves do not have a naturalistic look to them because of the elongation. Instead, they are very stylized towards what Buddhist sculpture is and how the Buddha is generally depicted.
On top of this, there looks to be an extra line that circles the instead of the ear, making it look that much more stylized. The hair and extended head of the Buddha continuing with the theme of looking stylized instead of naturalistic.
The hair of the Buddha has both vertical and horizontal lines running through the length of his hair. Additionally, the hair appears to almost be elevated slightly above the head making it seem as if the Buddha is wearing some sort of hat. Additionally, on top of the hair of the Buddha is another component of stylization which is his Ushinisha. On it there are multiple rows of small squares that continue in an upwards pattern. Specifically, there are four rows of the small squares with designs in each of them. At the very top of the Ushinisha there is a rounded top and does not have any designs on it unlike the rows that are below it. The Ushinisha is there to show that the Buddha’s thoughts could not be contained into a single head or mind, hence why there is the protruding part. This was on nearly every sculpture that had some form of Buddha and was the style of the time. Unlike the that stylized hair and upper head piece of the Buddha, the face appears to be very naturalistic comparatively. His face appears to be resting in a tranquil like state with both of his eyes being closed. The eyes themselves are not stylized at all but very naturalistic. There is a clear line where the eyelids meet without having any designs on them or other aspects that
would make them stylized. Above the two closed eyes, there is one long and thin unibrow that stretches the length of his forehead leaving a minimal amount of space by near the start of his ears. When it comes to the mouth that is on the Head of the Buddha, it looks as if he has a very slight smile. You can tell this because of the creases that are above his lips and just underneath his nose and move towards the corners of this mouth. On the chin of the Buddha you can see defined lines just underneath the mouth showing exactly the extensive detail that is used making it look humanistic and lifelike.
Historical Context: The Head of the Buddha When it comes to the history of the Khmer people, “their society can be distinguished by peaks, valleys, greatness, and near extinction.” During the ninth century is when King Jayavarman II took over reign of Cambodia and is the founder of the Khmer Empire, “It was a time when the Khmer greatly expanded their territory, art, and architecture thrived, irrigation networks were constructed for agriculture, and the people prospered.” Also during this time, the City of Angkor Thom was being built, “Angkor Thom, the wonderful city of palaces and chapels, was built and completed in about 900 A.D. which allowed Buddhist Khmer art to flourish.” This allowed the Buddhist religion and ideology to grow in the Khmer society. Much of the art that was done during this time were sculptures, specifically ones of the figure head of the Buddhist religion. Also during this time is when the Khmer people designated Sandstone to be the rock of choice used for their sculptures. Per the Cleveland Museum, “the artists that created these types of Buddhist Heads followed and carried forward the tradition that the Khmer people inherited from their native homeland in India.” Chronologically, their sculpture falls into two main groups, the first one ending with the building of Angkor, “The chief difference between them is one of conventionalization, for the works falling in one group are the free expressions, within necessary limits, of the ideas of the makers, whereas the others adhere more rigidly to a set canon.
In addition, the first group is marked by arched eyebrows and sensual lips, the second by more nearly horizontal eyebrows, and lips stylized into a definite pattern.” Based off this description, the piece that is in the Minneapolis Art institute would fall under the second group because of the horizontal eyebrows that stretch the length of the forehead. Additionally, the lips do not seem to be sensual as well as the earlobes are extended the length of the neck of the piece itself. Buddhism is deeply involved in the history of the Khmer people. The religions beginning in Cambodia dates to 100 A.D. with its arrival coming from India. According to Hein:
One of the most important social implications of Buddhism is that individuals are responsible for their own suffering and its remediation. This assessment logically follows from the belief that suffering results from one’s own attitudes and behavior, not those of other people. Four beliefs are central to Buddhism: humans suffer; suffering is caused by the impossibility of permanently gratifying human desires; reducing desire reduces suffering; ethical conduct can replace the illusive
quest for gratification.

These beliefs are central to the Khmer people and provided them with reason to make these sculptures in the first place. Because Buddhism was so deeply rooted in the Khmer society and their way of life, understanding the very basics of the religion helps enrich the historical context. The Buddhist sculptures of the Khmer people are able to give us an understanding of their culture and how it progressed over time. They were an important part of their society and revealed insight to the importance Buddhism played for the people. Without them, we would have a drastically different understanding of the Khmer society and how they lived.