Buddhist art has a history of over 2,000 years. During this time, it goes through many phases, revealing the transformations in Buddhist thought. In the earliest Buddhist art, Buddha is not represented. In fact, his presence is indicated by his absence, using various symbols such as a turban, a tree and his footprints. It was believed, in the early days, a great figure, who has attained nirvana (oblivion), should not be represented in art. After all, he already wiped out his mortal identity by his penance.

This thought changes in the second phase of Buddhism. Here, Buddha is represented as a hermit, wearing a fabric draped around him. He is either in the seated, standing or reclining positions. Buddha now is shown as having his hair in a top knot, though as per narratives, he had shaved his head. People considered a shaved head to be inauspicious, so artisans started giving Buddha a top knot. In the South-East Asian tradition, this top knot takes the form of a flame, it is called Ushnisha. Some people believe that it is to represent his higher state of intelligence. These Buddhist images show Buddha with long ears, arms and fingers to express his superhuman nature. The hands have various gestures, like the gesture of protection, of touching the earth and of showing wisdom.