A gray schist relief with the offering of the four bowls

GANDHARA, 2ND/3RD CENTURY

Details

A gray schist relief with the offering of the four bowls
Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Well carved with Buddha at center flanked by pairs of attendants offering bowls, with further Bodhisattvas in adoration at the back and flanked female attendants beneath Ashoka trees on separately carved panels
13¼ x 26 3/8 in. (33.5 x 67 cm.)

Provenance

Japanese Collection, 1990s

Lot Essay

After his seven week trance food was offered to Buddha by two merchants, but he had no bowl of his own in which to put the food, so the four Heavenly guardians, lokapalas, each brought a golden bowl. This precious metal was unacceptable, so it was transformed by the Buddha into various other metals and then into one of stone; for other examples of this scene, see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan, 1957, cat. no. 67-69, p. 67f.

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