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Stone disc with frieze of animals

ca. 3rd–late 2nd century BCE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Recent finds of gold foil alongside finely carved discs suggest ring and disc stones were jewelers’ molds. Their designs incorporate honeysuckle and lotus, signs of auspiciousness and abundance. The Hellenized honeysuckle, introduced to India from Persia, had a popular local equivalent, the snake flower (nagapuspa).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Stone disc with frieze of animals
  • Period: Maurya
  • Date: ca. 3rd–late 2nd century BCE
  • Culture: Northern India
  • Medium: Steatite
  • Dimensions: H. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm); Diam. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Bihar Museum, Patna
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art