Dharma-wheel pilaster (dharmacakrastambha)
Andhra Pradesh, possibly Ghantasala, Krishna district
This panel depicts the stepped capital of a tall commemorative pillar surmounted by the Buddhist wheel of the law (Dharma-wheel), a revered element of early Andhra Buddhist monasteries and the principal metaphor of the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma). The wheel is supported by two lions. Its radiating spokes are framed by a ring of lotus petals, and garlands hang from the capital beneath in celebration of the Buddha’s teachings. The panel probably formed the upper section of a slender pilaster decorating the platform (ayaka) that projected from the stupa. A vertical tenon joint on its rough-hewn reverse enabled it to be locked into place between two larger panels.
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