The Sultanganj Buddha's finger

Today i went to see the British pop artist Bridget Riley's show in Birmingham.

All serious stuff indeed and there was no photography allowed and even though i had my trusty ixus round my neck and could have snapped off a couple of sneaky snaps I really didn't feel like it.

i went to the show to try to rekindle interest in looking at paintings as I still find it all a bit boring.
But all that stuff about the artist being a celebrity or star I don't have much time for..when did all that Tracy Emin/Damien Hirst "I'm a big-star" stuff set in?

I like my artists to be loners; tormented,prolific,..hounded even!
I love that story about the famous painter Cezanne who called a piece of his own work "Le Pot de Merde" (a crock of shit)

anyway after I'd done that I went through the Museum and I stopped at the bronze statue of the Buddha which is the largest complete indian bronze dating from about the 6th or 7th century.
His little finger-tip and big toe are all polished and shiny from years of people reaching out and stroking them.