Helgö Buddha
| Helgö Buddha | |
|---|---|
The Helgö Buddha, 6th century CE | |
| Material | Bronze |
| Size | 8.4 cm high |
| Created | 6th century CE, Gupta Empire, India |
| Discovered | Helgö, Sweden 59°16′43″N 17°40′50″E / 59.278511°N 17.680435°E |
| Present location | State Historical Museum, Stockholm |
| Location | |
The Helgö Buddha is a small Buddha figure of the 6th century Gupta Empire period,[1] found during excavations of a trading post that was active between approximately the 3rd century and the 8th century, that is, between the Migration Period and the Viking Age, on Helgö.[2][3]
The Helgö Buddha
The Buddha was found with other finds from the Migration Period in what was called House Group 2, during excavations in July 1954,[4] which was the third season of excavations.[5]
Other unusual finds have been found in the surrounding area that are otherwise rarely found in Swedish finds from the Early Iron Age, including an Irish crook and Irish book bindings, a Coptic wine bucket, Roman gold coins, a rare Frisian sceatta coin, and East Baltic jewelry.[6] However, the Buddha figure is considered the most remarkable find as it is unique in the Nordic Iron Age context.[7]
Appearance and origin
The Buddha figure is made of bronze and is 8.4 cm high. It depicts the Buddha seated on his lotus throne. There is a gold urna on the forehead, and the forehead, eyebrows and mouth have been provided with dark metal (probably silver or niello ).[8]
It has a couple of rivet holes, indicating that it was originally mounted on something. When it was found, a leather strap was around the neck and right arm, so it was likely worn as a talisman or amulet.[4]
The Buddha dates from the 6th century and is believed to have come to the Nordic countries via the Silk Road.[9] It probably no longer had any religious significance, as it was quite damaged.[2] It is believed to have come to Helgö during the Viking Age. It is North Indian,[8] but the exact location of its manufacture is uncertain, perhaps in the Kashmir Valley[5] or the Swat Valley in present-day Pakistan.[2]
The Buddha today
The Helgö Buddha is today on display at the State Historical Museum in Stockholm.
See also
- Berenike Buddha, an earlier Buddha found in Egypt
References
- ^ Bidez, Joseph; Carnoy, Albert Joseph; Cumont, Franz (1957). L'Antiquité classique (in French). Impr. Oleffe. p. 174.
Helgö, dans la province d'Uppland ( Suède ), fut découverte une statuette de Bouddha de l'époque Gupta (Indes) dont le cou avait été ceint d'un torque de cuivre.
- ^ a b c "Stockholms läns museum - Värt ett besök". old.stockholmslansmuseum.se (in Swedish). Stockholm County Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ^ Hicks, Dan; Beaudry, Mary C. (2 September 2010). The Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies. OUP Oxford. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-19-921871-4.
- ^ a b "A Dozen of Asian Arts". www.asianart.com.
- ^ a b Stenberger, Mårten (1979). Det forntida Sverige. p.639
- ^ Holmqvist, Wilhelm (1979). Vikingar på Helgö. pp. 40–57
- ^ Stenberger, Mårten (1979). Det forntida Sverige. p. 634
- ^ a b Holmqvist, Wilhelm (1979). Vikingar på Helgö och Birka. p.52
- ^ History of the World in 1000 Objects. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 1 October 2014. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-241-18786-9.