The surprising discovery early this year of about 3000 Buddha figures buried in a riverbed in Hebei Province will be a source of fascination to anyone interested in East Asian Buddhist iconography and archaeology. This photo which accompanied an article about the find in the National Geographic Daily News from April 12 might represent the future Maitreya Buddha in a traditional contemplative posture as he cogitates upon ways to assist mankind in its restless quest for enlightenment:
This sculpture is technically sophisticated enough to have originated in the Tang period, yet the theme is as old as Northern Wei, and the gesture universal in appearance, even if considerably less agonized than Rodin's grunting thinkers.
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