Bodhidharma in Meditation

This unusual sculpture stands out, firstly as a Chinese depiction of an Indian figure, and secondly because of its large size and bright colours. The figure is Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk who is believed to have travelled from India to China in 520, bringing meditational Buddhism with him. From his furrowed brow and closed eyes, we can tell that he is deep in meditation. He sits on a pedestal integral to the sculpture, with apertures for easy handling on either side and an inscription that records the date and donors, 'faithful Dang Yan and Madam Mai'.