The Buddha preaching
- Audio guide stop: 613
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Kushan
- Made in: Gandhara (historic - Pakistan)
- Date: 2ndC-3rdC
- Object type: figure
- Materials: schist
- Museum number: 1895,1026.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a serene figure titled The Buddha. It represents the Buddha in a seated pose, engaged in preaching. Hailing from the Kushan culture and made in the ancient region of Gandhara—now part of Pakistan—this figure showcases the skill of Gandhara School artisans with its intricate detailing in schist stone. The Buddha's robes are rendered in carved relief, with rich textures and folds that cascade in a flowing pattern. His large, rounded head and serene facial features, including the signature mark of enlightenment, the ūrṇā, convey a sense of calm and wisdom. Around the Buddha sit a Bodhisattva and two kneeling worshipers, reflecting the important role of devotees in Buddhist iconography. The work dates to the period between the second and third centuries, a time when artistic traditions in Gandhara were deeply influenced by both Indian and Hellenistic styles.
See it in person
The Buddha preaching is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 613, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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