Stela
Object Number:
29-69-4
Current Location:
Collections storage
Culture:
Buddhist
Indian
Provenience:
India
Period:
Pala
Date Made:
9th century-12th century
Early Date:
800
Late Date:
1199
Section:
Asian
Materials:
Granulite
Technique:
Carved
Polished
Iconography:
Buddha
Lotus
Lions
Bhumisparsa Mudra
Mara
Birth of the Buddha
Descent from Tavatimsa Heaven
Preaching the First Sermon
wheel of the law
Deer
Nirvana
Taming of the Elephant
Miracle of Sravasti
Offering of the Monkey
Miracle of the Four Begging Bowls
Description:
Buddhist stela. The eight great miracles. Polished black granulite. Buddha seated on a lotus throne supported by 2 lions. He is in bhumisparsa mudra. Buddhist confession of faith written below. On the tall rounded-topped halo behind are represented 7 figures, symbolic of the 7 other miracles. Main figure is the assault of Mara. The lowest left is the birth of buddha. Next above is the descent from Heaven. Next above is the preaching the first sermon. "seal of the wheel of the law." Wheel and 2 deer represented on the plinth. Top is nirvanna. Below, right.... Next below is the taming of the maddened elephant. Lowest right is the Miracle at Sravasti, 4 begging bowls become one (Coomaraswamy says offering of the monkey) Typical Pala of 10th or 11th century, Medieval.
The inscription reads:
सिद्धं // ये धर्म्मा हेतुप्रभवो तेषां हेतुं तथागतो / ह्य् अवदत् तेषां च यो निरोध एवंवादी महाश्रामणः //
Height:
40cm
Credit Line:
Purchased from H. Kevorkian
Current & Past Exhibitions:
Buddhism: History and Diversity of a Great Tradition (12 Dec 1985 - 21 Oct 2012)
Bibliography:
[Catalogue] Lyons, Elizabeth and Heather Peters, Chang Ch'eng-mei, Gregory Possehl. 1985. Buddhism: History and Diversity of a Great Tradition. : Page/Fig./Plate: 7
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