The Buddha statue of Vasudeva I is a fragment of a statue of the Buddha, belonging to the art of Mathura, and bearing an inscription in the name of the Kushan Empire emperor Vasudeva I (191–232 CE).
The inscription on the base of a Buddha statue states: "In the 93rd year of Maharaja Devaputra Vasudeva...", corresponding to, or more probably 220 CE, with the more recent definition of the Kanishka era as starting in 127 CE (127+93=220).[1] The complete inscription reads:
The relatively peaceful reign of Vasudeva is marked by an important artistic production, in particular in the area of statuary.[2] Several Buddhist statues are dated to the reign of Vasudeva, and are important markers for the chronology of Buddhist art.[3] A partially preserved Sakyamuni statue, also from Mathura, has the date "Year 94", although without mentioning Vasudeva specifically.[4]
The statue, located in the Mathura Museum, is an important example of the art of Mathura.