<p>Here are pictures of Buddha's footprints: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Buddhapada&amp;tbm=isch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.google.com/search?q=Buddhapada&amp;tbm=isch</a></p>

<p>The footprints are a.k.a. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_footprint" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Buddhapada</a>.</p>

<hr>

<p>This is off-topic because it is later than "early" buddhism, but your question reminded me of the "10 bulls" illustrations (which are, if not early, at least famous, and use an emptiness to represent enlightenment).</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Bulls" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here</a> it's the 8th of the 10:</li>
</ul>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8fKE4.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<ul>
<li>Or in the second of <a href="http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/reader/reader/x5038.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these two series</a> it's the last of the ten.</li>
</ul>

<p>See also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ens%C5%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> (alternatively often shown as <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=zen+circle&amp;tbm=isch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">an open, unclosed</a> circle):</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/uAwJy.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-01T21:34:03.157Z
2014-10-01T21:46:07.710Z
2014-10-01T21:46:07.710Z
ChrisW
<p>One of the oldest Buddhist stone structures in India is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, and it has a lot of stone reliefs that have this kind of thing. Here's one example: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#mediaviewer/File:Sanchi_Carving.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#mediaviewer/File:Sanchi_Carving.jpg</a></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/x4exE.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-01T21:24:41.237Z
2015-01-03T13:23:40.970Z
2015-01-03T13:23:40.970Z
Bakmoon
<p>I was reading that early Buddhist art doesn't actually depict the Buddha. Instead it shows an empty space, a dharma wheel or a footprint where you would expect the Buddha to be shown. It was only later (maybe 1st century CE?) that the Buddha was represented in art. I would be really interested to see any examples of this kind of art. Could anyone post some links or the images themselves of this kind of early Buddhist art.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-01T20:52:23.867Z
This one is useful, The Beginnings of Buddhist Art
by A. Foucher
http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Reference/Beginnings-of-Buddhist-Art/The-Beginnings-of-Buddhist-Art.pdf
dmsp
<art><iconography><early-buddhism>
Examples of early Buddhist art
# Examples of early Buddhist art

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-01)

I was reading that early Buddhist art doesn't actually depict the Buddha. Instead it shows an empty space, a dharma wheel or a footprint where you would expect the Buddha to be shown. It was only later (maybe 1st century CE?) that the Buddha was represented in art. I would be really interested to see any examples of this kind of art. Could anyone post some links or the images themselves of this kind of early Buddhist art.

**Tags:** art, iconography, early-buddhism

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This one is useful, The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Reference/Beginnings-of-Buddhist-Art/The-Beginnings-of-Buddhist-Art.pdf  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-10-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

One of the oldest Buddhist stone structures in India is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, and it has a lot of stone reliefs that have this kind of thing. Here's one example: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#mediaviewer/File:Sanchi_Carving.jpg>

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/x4exE.jpg)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-10-01. Score: 0

Here are pictures of Buddha's footprints: <https://www.google.com/search?q=Buddhapada&tbm=isch>

The footprints are a.k.a. [Buddhapada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_footprint).

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This is off-topic because it is later than "early" buddhism, but your question reminded me of the "10 bulls" illustrations (which are, if not early, at least famous, and use an emptiness to represent enlightenment).

* [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Bulls) it's the 8th of the 10:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/8fKE4.png)

* Or in the second of [these two series](http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/reader/reader/x5038.html) it's the last of the ten.

See also [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ens%C5%8D) (alternatively often shown as [an open, unclosed](https://www.google.com/search?q=zen+circle&tbm=isch) circle):

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/uAwJy.jpg)


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