Listen to author and scholar Reza Aslan discuss this artwork.

Seattle’s 2001 Nisqually earthquake caused the figure’s head to fall off, due to weakness in the previously repaired join at the neck.

The quake also caused small losses on the glazed surface. These are depicted in this annotated image.

Originally, the body and the head were likely formed separately and attached at the neck with slip. To determine the approximate age and authenticity, two small clay samples were taken—from the beard and the backside—for thermoluminescence testing.

Thermoluminescence is induced by heating each sample to release radiation absorbed by the clay over its lifetime. The brighter it glows, the older the clay. Testing confirmed that both clay samples were fired last in the 8th century.