Buddha’s Birth
Description
The brick, within a single panel, depicts one of Buddha's twelve exemplary deeds, that is, his birth in the Lumbini forest. Queen Mayadevi, Shakyamuni's mother, can be observed standing while holding a branch with her right hand. To her right is a row of attendants receiving the infant, the future Buddha, emerging from her side. The attendants can be seen wearing a cap-like headdress and single-stranded necklaces, while Mayadevi herself can be seen wearing a crown, a necklace, armbands, and wristbands. The Altdanakatha elaborates on the tale behind this object. While travelling back to her parent's palace to give birth, in keeping with the custom, Mayadevi was struck by the beauty of the Lumbini forest. Standing amidst the trees, she held a branch, and at that moment began experiencing labour pains, with the future Buddha being born soon after. There have been many conjectures aiming to explain Mayadevi's pose.
Collection
Sculptures
Object Type
Architectural fragment
Material
Terracotta
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