Home
Home
Works of Art

Search

Advanced Search

Back to main page for Recent Acquisitions
Back to Asia
Section from a Frieze with a Seated Buddha and Attendants, ca. 2nd–3rd century; Kushan period
Indian (Uttar Pradesh, Mathura)
Red sandstone; L. 31 5/8 in. (80.3 cm)
Gift of Jeffrey B. Soref, in honor of Martin Lerner, 1998 (1998.488.2)

Description

The Buddha was portrayed in human form for the first time during the Kushan period. The central image of this frieze, an element from a lost ensemble, shows him in a typical pose and format for the period, seated with attendants at his side holding fly whisks. They are flanked on the right by the bodhisattva Maitreya, standing on a plinth holding a water bottle, and on the left by a crowned figure who may be the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. These two bodhisattvas are also traditional attendants of the Buddha. Further to the right stand a group of men, women, and a child paying homage to a seated figure, who can be provisionally identified by the double vajra (thunderbolt scepter) he holds in his right hand as the bodhisattva Vajrapani, a deity also frequently associated with the Buddha. Another possibility is that this seated figure is the god Indra, who similarly attends the Buddha. The scene on the other side of the relief is more difficult to decode. Groups of worshipers, two holding fly whisks, flank a tree(?) and a large head emerging from the ground, both of which may refer to yakshas, earth spirits. The gesturing child at the center is also an enigma.

(Entry written by Steven M. Kossak)

Next Next

Home |  Works of Art |  Curatorial Departments |  Collection Database |  Features |  Timeline of Art History |  Explore & Learn |  The Met Store |  Membership |  Ways to Give |  Plan Your Visit |  Calendar |  The Cloisters |  Concerts & Lectures |  Educational Resources |  Events & Programs |  FAQs |  Special Exhibitions |  My Met Museum |  Press Room |  Met Podcast |  Site Index |  Now at the Met |  MuseumKids

Photograph Credits

Copyright © 2000–2008 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.  Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy.