Accession Number
1997/2.37

Title
Scene from the Life of the Buddha: Conception (architectural fragment)

Artist(s)
Artist Unknown, Gandhara (Ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan)

Object Creation Date
2nd century - 3rd century

Medium & Support
stone

Dimensions
6 11/16 in. x 13 9/16 in. x 1 15/16 in. ( 17 cm x 34.5 cm x 5 cm )

Credit Line
Gift of Iuliana and Mark Phillips

Subject matter
A narrative scene of the conception of the Buddha, in which his mother Maya had a dream that an elephant (here shown in a small roundel over the sleeping figure of a woman in the central panel) entered her side. The figure of the sleeping Maya is flanked by two female guards armed with spears, each standing in a nich, while donor figures stand at the outermost edges of the panel. This panel would once have formed part of the drum of a small stupa.

Physical Description
A curved stone, originally a facing on the drum of a small stupa, carved with a narrative scene.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
architectural element

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
Buddhas (visual works)
Buddhism
architectural firms
births
fragments (object portions)
stupas