The monk Shariputra, the chief disciple of the Buddha

In Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand, the Buddha is sometimes shown flanked by two of his chief disciples. In Myanmar they were often differentiated by their body positions. Both faced the Buddha, sitting respectfully with their legs to one side. Shariputra, the disciple shown here, was placed on the Buddha’s right and leaned forward as if listening attentively; the other chief disciple, on the Buddha’s left, held his hands together in reverence.

These disciples, though they were contemporaries of the historical Buddha and legendary for their piety and power, may have seemed to sculptors more approachable than the Buddha and the celestial deities. Sometimes, as here, the sculptor imparts a sense of youthful tenderness.

Sculptures such as this are difficult to date with precision, as artists continue to make them today.