Standing buddha

This buddha, made of pure white marble from the Taihang Mountains, represents a new emphasis in Buddhist sculpture that first appeared during the Northern Qi dynasty. Earlier sculpture tended to be flat, with thin bodies nearly hidden by drapery, as they were meant to be viewed only from the front. This piece, in contrast, is carved fully in the round, and there is a real sense of the body beneath the tight-fitting robes. The newly arrived Gupta style from India probably contributed to this stylistic change that pursued a full, sensuous modeling of bodies.