Fragment of Relief
Sculpture
late 2nd century B.C. (made)
late 2nd century B.C. (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Fragment of a carved frieze of bells, sandstone, originally from the stupa at Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga period, 2nd century BC.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Fragment of Relief (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved red sandstone |
| Brief description | Fragment of a carved frieze, sandstone, Bharhut, Shunga period, 2nd century BC. |
| Physical description | This fragment of a carved frieze depicting stories from the Buddha's previous incarnations (Jatakas) and events in his life. Coping stone fragment with a frieze of bells. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery label | 4. Fragment from a Stupa Railing
150–1 BC
Shunga period
Buddhist stupas or relic mounds were
surrounded by carved stone railings. Pilgrims
went round and round the stupa in a ritual walk
on a path enclosed by the railing.This fragment
comes from the massive coping stone on top of
the railing at Bharhut, a key site in the study of
early Buddhist sculpture.
Sandstone
Central India (Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh)
Museum no. IS.69-1986 (06/06/2011) |
| Object history | This architectural fragment came from the enclosure railing at the Bharhut stupa. |
| Historical context | This frieze of bells is a fragment from the lower register of the massive coping stones which formed part of the stone railing enclosing the circuambulatory path around the stupa at Bharhut. The antiquity of the now lost stupa is unknown but the railing appears, on the basis of surviving donor inscriptions, to date to the second half of the 2nd century B.C. The railings and gateways are extensively carved with reliefs depicting stories from the Buddha's previous incarnations (Jatakas) and events in his life. They are remarkable for the richness of genre detail which they contain. The upper register of the coping stones is decorated with stepped merlons alternating with lotuses, the lower with a chain of hanging bells as seen in this example. |
| Production | Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Fragment of a carved frieze of bells, sandstone, originally from the stupa at Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga period, 2nd century BC. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.69-1986 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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