Drum panel with veneration of relics
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This large-scale drum panel greeted Buddhist worshippers as they entered the circumambulation pathway from one of the gateways of the Great Stupa at Dupadu. The stupa features a vertical drum supporting a spherical dome, which is enveloped by a pair of protective nagas and topped by a profusion of honorific chattras (umbrellas) that evoke the foliage of the bodhi (wisdom) tree beneath which the Buddha attained enlightenment. At its base is an open shrine displaying the holy relics, venerated by two male worshippers. On the face of the platforms flanking the shrine are symbols of the empty throne and Dharma-wheel, references to the three key moments of the Buddha’s life: his spiritual awakening, first sermon, and death.
Artwork Details
- Title: Drum panel with veneration of relics
- Period: Satavahana
- Date: ca. 1st century CE
- Culture: India, Dupadu Great Stupa, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: H. 67 5/16 in. (171 cm); W. 40 15/16 in. (104 cm); D. 6 11/16 in. (17 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Lent by Amaravati Heritage Centre and Museum, Andhra Pradesh
- Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art