Buddha Image described as "King Udayana Image"

Abstract

This image of the Buddha (on the left, facing the viewer) belongs to Cave No. 306 of the Longmen Grottoes. The votive inscription remaining in the niche states that “a monk created this ‘King Udayana Image’ on October fifteenth in the sixth year of the Yonghui period (655 CE).” The style of this Buddha image displays strong Indian influence, with a low tuft on the crown of the head, wearing a thin robe, baring the right shoulder, and emphasizing the slim waistline—altogether distinctly different from the contemporary Chinese style. A nearly identical figure sits next to it. This form is replicated in over 70 statues remaining at Longmen. The votive inscriptions of the statues inform us that they were given the specific title “King Udayana Image,” and not considered as a general Tathagata image, such as the Buddha Sakyamuni.