  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.
  
  
  Title
  Shakyamuni as an Ascetic
  
  
  Artwork Date
  late 13th - early 14th century
  
  Artist
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  Life Dates
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  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  Chinese
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
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  Medium
  Wood with lacquer, gilding, and traces of color
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 11 3/4 × 8 1/8 × 6 1/2 inches (29.8 × 20.6 × 16.5 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Sculpture
  
  
  Department
  Asian Art
  
  
  Credit
  City of Detroit Purchase
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  29.172
  
  
  Copyright
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