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Dharmachakra

ca. 200 CE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This double-sided spoked wheel is a rare example of a metal Dharma-wheel (dharmacakra), an early Indian symbol for revealed knowledge. While both Buddhists and Jains shared this symbolism, for Buddhists the wheel became the principal metaphor for the Buddha’s teachings and spiritual conquest. As such, the Dharma-wheel was frequently included in scenes of the Buddha’s first sermon and, when represented independently as here, referenced that event. This example has sixteen openwork spokes radiating from the hub. A pair of makaras (mythological sea monsters), with dolphinlike tails, frames the base, and is bracketed by female nature spirits, or yakshis.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Dharmachakra
  • Period: Kushana
  • Date: ca. 200 CE
  • Culture: India, Chausa, Shahabad district, Bihar
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. (incl. shaft) 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm); W. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm); D. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Diam. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by Bihar Museum, Patna
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art