WHEN BUDDHIST SCULPTURE SMILES

The representational tradition of Buddhist sacred sculpture is multi-layered and has its own specificity, reflecting the stylistic and cultural-historical contexts of the regions where it has spread. The adoption of new trends, development in alternative dimensions, and transformation into original cultural artifacts accompany the philosophical principles of Buddhism throughout its pilgrimage journey. The smile is a unique attribute and phenomenon of Buddhist imagery, a marker of change, and a transformative response to the challenges of time. In this article, we will examine vivid examples of such adaptations and changes, the specificity of Buddhist sacred sculpture, the spread of the smile in the representational tradition (under the influence of various factors), and the characteristic “signs of the times” that have been realized in the art and cultures of the regions where it has been universalized. The smile can be considered one of the main attributes of Buddhist imagery; it has numerous variations in execution and is imbued with symbolic meanings and hidden senses. Buddhist sacred sculpture carries not only the specificity of traditions and schools but also reflects the cultural-historical context. Therefore, followers and disciples of certain representational traditions implemented them considering local specifics and peculiarities. We find several characteristic examples of the use of the smile in sacred sculpture, which have an abnormal nature and stand out from the general dynamic system of Buddhist sacred sculpture, specifically in the cultures of East Asia and Cambodia.