Tibet, 17th century A carved and laquered male deer, seated with its hindlegs gently folded beneath its body, its head turned with expression of awareness.
Dimensions Height: 22 cm
Notes Footnote: The symbol of the deer represents one of the four momentous occasions in the life of the Buddha. Having already attained enlightenment, the Buddha taught his first sermon at Sarnath, in a scene often referred to as the The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. Surrounded by his disciples and deer in a place commonly referred to as Deer Park, the Buddha laid the ground for the main tenets of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.