Standing Buddha

Depicting the Buddha in a plain robe that clings to the body, without interrupting the beauty of its contours, was a new development in the sculptural workshops of Sarnath during the 400s CE. Sarnath is located near the ancient city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River and is identified as the place where the Buddha gave his first teaching. This form spread by means of portable images to peninsular Southeast Asia.