• Afghanistan
• Bāmiyān province (C)
• Bāmiyān
• Bāmiyān 55m Buddha niche

Bāmiyān 55m Buddha niche

The western 55m Buddha, probably representing Dipankara Buddha, was radiocarbon dated to 591-644 AD (ICOMOS 2009, p. 235). As the eastern 38m Buddha he was also sheltered in a niche of the same cliff facade, but in this case a trilobed niche surrounded the sculpture. The construction of the 55m Buddha is a slightly more advanced version of the technique used for the smaller Buddha. The foundation of the body and the head were sculpted directly from rock. The lower part of the right side, the leg and arm, where built around armatures. First, they were shaped with mortar made of mixed earth and then covered with stucco. Details of the hair and garment were molded with stucco. For the garment folds cords were twisted around stakes which served as a base. The Buddha sculpture was originally gilded and decorated with jewels. The right arm appears to had been raised in abhaya mudra, similar to the 38m Buddha, but the left hung down next to the body. (Klimburg-Salter 1989, pp. 89-90, 172)