Plaque
15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ceramic plaque depicts two of the daughters of Mara elegantly posed against a green background. They are wearing decorative red and green garments and elaborate headdresses and jewellery, each with one hand to her side, the other raised and holding a fan. The plaque probably formed part of a larger series illustrating the Buddha's triumph over evil and the rout of Mara's army. The army was placed around the base of the Shwegugyi pagoda in Pegu to disrupt the Buddha while he meditated and sought enlightenment. It may have been combined with another series showing part or all of the Jataka stories (a series of tales recounting the Buddha's previous lives).
The practice of decorating pagodas with glazed terracotta plaques modelled in relief with Jataka scenes probably began in Burma in the Mon capital of Thahton. It was brought to Pagan by the Burmese king Anirhuddha about the middle of the 11th century, and their use there, as in Pegu in the later 15th century, was probably as much educational as decorative.
The practice of decorating pagodas with glazed terracotta plaques modelled in relief with Jataka scenes probably began in Burma in the Mon capital of Thahton. It was brought to Pagan by the Burmese king Anirhuddha about the middle of the 11th century, and their use there, as in Pegu in the later 15th century, was probably as much educational as decorative.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Terracotta, glazed with cream, green and brown |
| Brief description | Plaque depicting two of the daughters of Mara, sent to distract the Buddha, lead-glazed earthenware, possibly from the Shwegugyi pagoda in Bago, Burma, 15th century |
| Physical description | Rectangular earthenware plaque depicting two daughters of Mara standing side by side against a green background. Both figures wear red and green garments incised with elaborate patterns, headdresses and jewellery, and carry fans in one hand. They probably once formed part of a larger group of plaques depicting the forces sent my Mara to distract the Buddha. There is a partial inscription above the heads of the two figures. The upper corners of the plaque are broken. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Col. E.H. Power |
| Object history | Pitt Rivers has four more of this series, given by Richard Temple |
| Production | Possibly from the Shwegugyi pagoda in Pegu, Burma |
| Summary | This ceramic plaque depicts two of the daughters of Mara elegantly posed against a green background. They are wearing decorative red and green garments and elaborate headdresses and jewellery, each with one hand to her side, the other raised and holding a fan. The plaque probably formed part of a larger series illustrating the Buddha's triumph over evil and the rout of Mara's army. The army was placed around the base of the Shwegugyi pagoda in Pegu to disrupt the Buddha while he meditated and sought enlightenment. It may have been combined with another series showing part or all of the Jataka stories (a series of tales recounting the Buddha's previous lives). The practice of decorating pagodas with glazed terracotta plaques modelled in relief with Jataka scenes probably began in Burma in the Mon capital of Thahton. It was brought to Pagan by the Burmese king Anirhuddha about the middle of the 11th century, and their use there, as in Pegu in the later 15th century, was probably as much educational as decorative. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 173-1875 |
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| Record created | March 7, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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