About the Artwork
This figure is Shakyamuni, another name for the Buddha, during his time of fasting.
Born a prince, Shakyamuni left the palace to retreat into the wilderness. Wearing a simple robe, he gave up all material comforts—including food—and dedicated himself to meditation. But this experience taught him that extreme restraint was not the most effective way to achieve enlightenment. Instead, he found the best path to be balance and moderation—known as the middle way.
Shakyamuni as an Ascetic
late 13th - early 14th century
----------
----------
Chinese
----------
Wood with lacquer, gilding, and traces of color
Overall: 11 3/4 × 8 1/8 × 6 1/2 inches (29.8 × 20.6 × 16.5 cm)
Sculpture
Asian Art
City of Detroit Purchase
29.172
Public Domain
Markings
Please note: This section is empty
Provenance
(C.T. Loo);1929-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
For more information on provenance, please visit:
Provenance pageExhibition History
Please note: This section is empty
The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.
Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Bulletin of the DIA 11, no. 2 (1929): p. 22 (ill.).
Ashton, L. and B. Grey. Introduction to Chinese Art. London, 1935, p. 130.
Buddhist Art. Detroit Institute of Arts, 1942, no. 78.
DIA Picture Book: Art of India, China, and Japan. 1946.
Ashton, L., and B. Grey. Chinese Art. New York, 1953, p. 116. [as T'ang]
Chinese Art Under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Cleveland Museum of Art. 1968-1969, no. 20 (ill.).
DIA Handbook. 1971, p. 48.
University Liggett Antiques Show. Exh. cat., University Liggett School. Grosse Pointe Woods, 1979, pp. 74, 76, 100.
"Family Art Game," Detroit News/Detroit Free Press. (April 18, 1982): p. 4 (ill.). [DIA Advertising Supplement.]
Mitchell, S.W. "The Asian Collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts," Orientations 13, no. 5 (May 1982): pp. 14-36 (fig. 2).
"Family Art Game," Detroit News (April 14, 1985): p. 7 (ill.). [DIA Advertising Supplement].
100 Masterworks from the Detroit Institute of Arts. New York, 1985, p. 50-51 (ill.).
Hanks, James E. “Curators of Asian Art at the DIA - from the Collection’s Origins to the 1940s.” Bulletin of the DIA 92, no. 1/4 (2018): pp. 86-87 (fig. 6).
Augustin, Birgitta. "'Like stars seen on the bottom of deep wells': Recalling a Shakyamuni in Detroit," Orientations. vol. 52, no. 1 (January/February 2021): pp. 74-76, (fig. 1) p. 75.
Trivel, Marco Guglielminotti. “Uṣṇīṣa-cūḍāmani: Note su un particolare iconografico delle immagini del Buddha in Asia orientale.” In Arte dal Mediterraneo al Mar della Cina: genesi ed incontri di scuole e stili: scritti in onore di Paola Mortari Vergara Caffarelli, Osmlab. Palermo, 2015, p. 151
Kindly share your feedback or any additional information, as this record is still a work in progress and may need further refinement.
Suggest FeedbackCatalogue Raisoneé
Please note: This section is empty
Credit Line for Reproduction
Chinese, Shakyamuni as an Ascetic, late 13th - early 14th century, wood with lacquer, gilding, and traces of color. Detroit Institute of Arts, City of Detroit Purchase, 29.172.
Feedback
We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction or improvement.
Suggest Feedback
