Scenes from the Life of Buddha

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Scenes from the Life of Buddha as sculpture (Pakistan, Gandhara, Kushan period · 100s CE).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

In this compact narrative relief, which was made to adorn a Buddhist stupa, scenes from the early life of the Buddha are depicted in order from top to bottom. His birth is at the top.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this sculpture as schist.

The museum's collection notes: In this compact narrative relief, which was made to adorn a Buddhist stupa, scenes from the early life of the Buddha are depicted in order from top to bottom. His birth is at the top. The infant, now broken, is being received by Indra, King of the Gods, from the right side of his mother, who is depicted like a tree deity, grasping a branch with one hand. The baby Buddha miraculously took seven steps immediately after he was born, as indicated by the standing diminutive figure at the left of the scene. The next scene depicts the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will be the next Buddha to be born in the future, as an element of foreshadowing. Returnin

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtScenes from the Life of Buddha

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