NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY

细节

A black stone stele of Buddha with scenes of his life
Northeastern India, Pala period, 11th Century
Seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with his hands in bhumisparsamudra, dressed in a tight-fitting sanghati draped over one shoulder and adorned with jewelry, the face with heavy-lidded elongated eyes surmounted by an elaborate jeweled tiara, surrounded by seven smaller Buddha figures depicting his life story
25¾ in. (65.4 cm.) high

来源

Private Collection, New York, 1980

展览

Pantheon of the Gods: Art from India and Southeast Asia, Carlton Rochell, September 11 - September 28, 2007, cat. no. 28.

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拍品专文

This finely carved stone stele illustrates the eight principal events in Buddha's life following a popular Pala period iconographic device. The narrative elements are reduced to iconic images that remain recognizable due to attributes or gestures. The large central image depicts Buddha after the triumph over Mara, touching the Earth as his witness. The remaining seven are arranged as follows, counter-clockwise from top: the death, parinirvana; the descent from the Trayatrimsa heaven; the first sermon at Sarnath, with two deer flanking the wheel; taming of the mad elephant Nalagiri; the monkey's gift of honey, holding a bowl; the miracle of Sravasti; and an unidentified scene. Curiously, the work is missing the important birth of the Buddha, and the order of the scenes is not consistent with the chronology of the Buddha's life.