Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Drum panel with stupa veneration and seminal Buddha-life events
India, Dupadu Great Stupa, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh
Not on view
Three decorative panels on the drum of this spectacular stupa depict key moments in the Buddha’s life: his renunciation, enlightenment, and death. At the center is the Great Departure, represented as a riderless horse passing through a tall gateway, alluding to the start of Prince Siddhartha’s life as a mendicant (wandering ascetic). The profile of the horse draws directly from images on Roman coins then in circulation in southern India. The empty throne beneath a tree at left is a metaphor for the Buddha’s awakening at Bodhgaya, while the domed shrine on pillars at right houses the tooth relic, a symbol of the Buddha’s passing. These three scenes thus celebrate the seminal moments in the Buddha’s life.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
