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Sultanganj Buddha

The Sultanganj Buddha is a Gupta–Pala transitional period sculpture and the largest substantially complete copper Buddha figure known from the time. It is dated to between 500 and 700 AD and measures 2.3 m high and 1 m wide, weighing over 500 kg. Found in Sultanganj, Bhagalpur district, Bihar, in 1861 during railway construction, it is now held by the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham, England. Its style is linked to earlier Sarnath stone Buddhas, with smoothly rounded forms, a very thin clinging garment, and an animated stance created by its sweeping silhouette.

Sultanganj Buddha sculpture with raised right hand and outstretched left arm on a raised platform.
The Sultanganj Buddha shown in a full-length view, with one hand raised and the other extended outward.
November 2009 © Taken by Kaptain Kobold · Public domain
Sultanganj Buddha displayed in a glass case, with a standing figure inside an arched stele and a kneeling figure at the base.
The Sultanganj Buddha on display in a glass case at the British Museum.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sultanganj Buddha displayed in a glass case with a kneeling figure beside it.
The Sultanganj Buddha shown in display, with a smaller kneeling figure at the base.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
A man in colonial-era clothing and a pith helmet stands beside the Sultanganj Buddha, with two smaller carved stelae at the base.
The Sultanganj Buddha shown beside a colonial-era figure, with two smaller carved stelae placed nearby.
1861 © Photographer unknown 1861/1862 · Public domain
Head and shoulders of the Sultanganj Buddha with curly hair, downcast eyes, and elongated earlobes
The Sultanganj Buddha shown in a close-up view of the head and shoulders.
October 2024 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleSultanganj Buddha
TypeStanding Buddha statue

Historical context

PeriodGupta–Pala transitional period
Datec. 500–700 AD, with alternative datings ranging from around 400 to as late as 800; radiocarbon dating gives 600–650

Creator

Discovered byE. B. Harris, a British railway engineer

Discovery and provenance

Transport to England1863
Museum acquisitionAcquired by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 1864 as a foundation donation
Donation to BirminghamOffered to the Borough Council for their proposed Art Museum in 1864
Transport sponsorSamuel Thornton, Birmingham manufacturer of ironmongery and former mayor of Birmingham, paid the transport costs
Original placementApparently deliberately buried in a pit or beneath a floor within the remains of a Buddhist monastery complex, perhaps after being toppled from its former place
Associated smaller findsTwo much smaller standing stone Buddhas, now in the British Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and a stone Buddha head now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Depth foundAbout 3 meters below the surface; the right foot was found ten feet under the surface
Discovery contextFound during earthworks/excavations for the East Indian Railway station and railway construction
Discovery locationNear Sultanganj station, Sultanganj, Bhagalpur district, Bihar, East India
Discovery date1861 or 1862
Associated reportE. B. Harris published a detailed account of the discovery with a site plan and photographs

Location and ownership

Current locationBirmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England
Current display contextDisplayed in a new gallery at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on the theme of the range of faiths practiced in Birmingham, together with other Buddhist art and loans from other British museums
Religious useUsed for religious ceremonies; regular Vesak celebrations have been held in its presence since the early 2000s in cooperation with the museum

Physical characteristics

HeightAbout 2.3 m
StructureHollow figure
ScaleColossal, over life-size
WeightOver 500 kg
WidthAbout 1 m

Materials

MaterialCopper; described in some sources as pure, unrefined copper and more generally as metal
Inner coreClay core with rice husks and other organic inclusions

Technique

Casting techniqueHollow-cast lost-wax (cire perdue) technique
Scientific dating methodRadiocarbon dating and thermoluminescence dating of the clay core with organic inclusions

Appearance

Body treatmentSmoothly rounded attenuation of the body and limbs
Original surface appearanceProbably bright, light, gold-like metal over the whole surface except the hair, achieved by intensive polishing after casting
Surface appearanceDark metal surface with a black encrustation of fine clay minerals over much of the surface; the fingertips of the proper left hand are brightly polished and light, gold-like in colour from visitor contact
Robe handlingThe end of the monastic robe is held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand
RobeThin monastic robe clinging closely to the body and following its shape in flowing lines
Left hand gestureVarada mudra, with the left hand lowered and palm outward
Depicted figureBuddha
PoseStanding, in the 'Fearless Posture'
HairHair knot depicted
Right hand gestureAbhaya mudra, with the right hand raised
Facial expressionCalm face with a lowered gaze
EarlobesElongated

Iconography and meaning

Hand gesture meaningThe left-hand gesture is said to indicate granting a favour
Interpretation of original brillianceLinked to early Buddhist scriptural references to the radiance and colour of the Buddha's body; other Buddha images were gilded

History and restoration

Burial interpretationModern interpretations suggest it was hidden during a period of religious threat to protect it from destruction
Surface alterationLong exposure to atmospheric agents and burial caused the black encrustation
Visitor wearMuseum visitors touched the fingers of the proper left hand, wearing away the coating
Display historyDisplayed in different prominent locations in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; since 1998 it has had its own gallery
Post-casting workVarious repairs were carried out to complete and perhaps maintain the statue; a secondary casting was executed at a rather lower level of skill

Significance

Stylistic featuresIts animation is created by the unbalanced stance and the sweeping silhouette of the enveloping robe
Technical challengeThe statue's sheer size meant the workshop worked at the limit of its technical capabilities
Collection historyOne of the earliest objects in the newly emerging municipal museum collections and one of the central collection objects since the 19th century
Stylistic comparisonComparable to slightly earlier stone Buddha figures from Sarnath
Related comparable objectA copper Buddha in Guita Bahī monastery, Lalitpur, Nepal, about 1.8 metres tall, of Nepali make and style, dating to about the 9th or 10th century
Comparative notesThe metal Brahma from Mirpur-Khas is older but about half the size; the Jain Akota bronzes and similar finds are much smaller, probably household shrine figures for well-off homes
Museum significanceOne of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's most treasured, visually distinctive, and central collection objects; it is the only object in the museum permanently used for religious ceremonies
SignificanceThe largest surviving copper statue of a standing Buddha from the Gupta–Pala transition period and one of the best-known examples of early medieval Indian metal art in Europe

Other

Restitution statusNo official restitution request has been made so far