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Niche with the Seated Bodhisattva Shakyamuni Flanked by Devotees and an Elephant

ca. 4th–5th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 236
The lunette embellished the high base of a Buddhist stupa (relic mound) and would have been viewed from below during ritual circumnambulation. Shakyamuni is shown as a bodhisattva wearing the jeweled turban and textiles of a prince. The naturalistic anatomy and the complex classical treatment of interacting devotees seem remarkable given that the relief was sculpted about the fifth century—long after classical traditions in the West had declined.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Niche with the Seated Bodhisattva Shakyamuni Flanked by Devotees and an Elephant
  • Date: ca. 4th–5th century
  • Culture: Afghanistan (Hadda)
  • Medium: Stucco
  • Dimensions: H. 16 9/16 in. (42 cm); W. 18 1/4 in. (46.4 cm); D. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Walter Burke Gift, and Anonymous Gift, Rogers Fund, and Gift of George D. Pratt, by exchange, 2005
  • Object Number: 2005.314
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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