Buddhist Statuary and Images
The image of the Buddha is familiar worldwide. The first images of the Buddha appeared during the reign of King Kanishka during the first century, greatly influenced by the Hellenic art coming out of Central Asia. The Buddha image conveys serenity and calm. The proportions of the Buddha are always ideal. Though there is some variation in measurement and scale from school to school and country to country, most Buddha images have the following characteristics:
The top of the Buddha's head has a raised area that symbolizes enlightened mind
The hands and the feet are equal in length and scale
The nose is long, straight, and noble
There is a mark in the center of the forehead — the Eye of Wisdom
The ears are elongated
Buddha images portray grace and great beauty. One of the most famous Buddha images is Wat Pho: The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Thailand. The gold-plated reclining Buddha is more than 150 feet long and 49 feet high and represents the Buddha's paranirvana. The temple grounds contain more than 1,000 Buddha images scattered around.
