Buddha

Bronze Buddha statuette The Buddha is sitting on a throne shaped like a double lotus flower. On the forehead the third eye can be seen. The eyes and mouth have traces of paint and silver; the third eye appears to have been in gold. The statuette was made in the late fifth or early sixth centuries, probably in Swat, on the border between modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. We do not know how it came to be in Scandinavia; perhaps it arrived with other goods via the Silk Road, the trade route from China to Europe. Settlement find, Helgö, building group 2, Ekerö Parish, Uppland.

Image rights: Ola Myrin, Historiska museet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 108115_HST

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