This Buddha

This Buddha was built for the Shonfa Temple northeast of Peking by order of Emperor Hui-Tsung during 1101 - 1125, and its builder was Chon-Ha-Chin, noted as the most distinguished of ancient Buddha makers. A rebel general looted the temple, took the statue as part of his plunder, and sent it to New York to be sold. The statue then came to the attention of two friends of E.A. Mc Ilhenny, who purchased it and sent it to him as a gift in 1936. E.A. McIlhenny later wrote of the Buddha resting peacefully on the bank of a lagoon beneath pale green bamboos, far from its home after long travel yet in a place of calm repose.

Louisiana · United States