Conventional Name Year 5 Buddha | Item Schist sculpture | Findspot Unknown | Dimensions Height: 61.6cm, Width: 59.1cm | Date Year 5 | Collection Private | Current Location Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States | Language/Script Gāndhārī/Kharoṣṭḥī
Image | Title | Tags | Notes | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hair | hair parted in middle with lateral continuous waves; separate uṣṇīṣa | (Harle 1974, 132) “wavy, rolling up and inwards from the hairline on either side of a central little almond-shaped dividing point” (Mitterwallner 1987, 217) “rendered in a systematized manner in the form of semi-circles… bound by a band” (Guy 2022, 97) “his uncut hair is drawn back in prominent waves and tied up to form a large chignon-ushnisha” | medium | |
Ring at base of uṣṇīṣa | ring at base of uṣṇīṣa | light | ||
Robe | robe with arm, right shoulder and feet exposed, and section of the lower underrobe (?) visible | (Harle 1974, 132) “shown as passing twice under the right shoulder” (Mitterwallner 1987, 217) “right shoulder and crossed feet uncovered by upper garment, serves as a point of evidence that his dressing mode had been indianized” | medium | |
Dharmacakramudrā | dharmacakramudrā | (Harle 1974, 132 ) “hands are portrayed in dharmacakra pose, signifying ‘preaching’ and, as is almost always the case with this hand position, the right shoulder and arm are uncovered” (Pal 1984, 191) “The gesture he makes with his hands held against his chest is generally interpreted as symbolic of teaching, although it seems to be depicted rather tentatively here when compared to the more articulated representations observed in later sculptures” (Mitterwallner 1987, 218) “shown preaching with both hands raised in front of his breast, the right hand with its palm turned towards the breast and the left placed below the right hand… rendered in such a way that only three of the fingers of the left hand, thumb, index and middle finger, are in contact with the right hand, touching its little finger”
(Guy 2022, 97) “his hands are poised before his chest in the teaching gesture known as Turning-the-Wheel (dharmacakrapravartanamudra)” | medium | |
Ūrṇā | buddha, ūrṇā | (Harle 1974, 132) “very small and set low, practically on top of the nose” (Mitterwallner 1987, 216) “small raised disk between his eyebrows” (Guy 2022, 97) “a small forehead mark (urna) at the meeting of his eyebrows serves as one of his many auspicious signs (lakshana)” | medium | |
Long earlobe | buddha, long earlobe | (Harle 1974, 132) “only moderately extended” | light | |
Earlobe hole | earlobe hole | light | ||
Earlobe hole | earlobe hole | light | ||
ūṣṇīṣa | ūṣṇīṣa | (Harle 1974, 132) “relatively small for its height” (Guy 2022, 97) “large chignon-ushnisha” | medium | |
Nimbus of Buddha | nimbus, plain | medium | ||
Lotus seat | (Harle 1974, 132) “artichoke-like lotus having four rows of petals, the top three turned upwards, the bottom row downwards and almost suggesting legs or props. The stem of the lotus is traced upon the base” (Pal 1984, 191) “seated on a flower that looks more like an artichoke than a lotus” (Mitterwallner 1987, 219) “six lotus petals, three on either side of the stem, carved gracefully bent downwards. The short stem of the lotus is likewise depicted on the plinth descending downwards” (Guy 2022, 97) “grand lotus bloom with stem emerging from pond, sometimes supported by nagas, but absent here… seed pod of a large lotus with multiple tiers of upturned petals, its supporting stem clearly demarcated such that it interrupts the flow of the inscription” | dark | ||
Standing bodhisattva | bodhisattva, standing position | (Harle 1974, 132-3) “almost certainly Maitreya (proper right) since the long lock of hair resting on top of his head like a horizontal figure eight, a feature which he shares where with Brahmā, is one of the identifying marks of Maitreya in Gandhāra sculpture.” (Pal 1984, 191) “the figure on the left is probably Maitreya”
(Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “Maitreya can be identified as such because of the breakage of the now missing flask which he once held in his left hand. He smiles almost as brightly as the god Brahmā, with whom he shares the same hair-do” (Tissot 2005, 396) “lost its left arm, its moustaches is practically non-existent” (Fussman 2012, 34) “the bodhisattva standing at the right of the Buddha is most probably Mahāsthamaprāpta although he looks like Maitreya” (Guy 2022, 97) “Maitreya conventionally holds the elixir flask (lost here) and shares the ascetic’s topknot worn by Brahma” | dark | |
Hair | (Harle 1974, 132-3) “hair resting on top of his head like a horizontal figure eight” (Mitterwallner 1987, 215 ) “mesh of hair in the form of the number eight, placed horizontally across the head” | medium | ||
Uttarīya | uttarīya | light | ||
Girdle | girdle | light | ||
Kamaṇḍalu | flask, plain ovoid flask | (Guy 2022, 97) “elixir flask (lost here)” | medium | |
Abhayamudrā OR namaskāramudrā | gesture of reassurance, gesture of salutation | medium | ||
Cross-piece necklace | necklace set, second long cross-necklace resting on the upper right arm with stones | medium | ||
Brahmanical cord | necklace set, brahmanical cord passing under right armpit with amulet boxes (kavaca) | (Harle 1974, 133) “a cord with amulets and armlets, these last appearing in outline under the shawl draped over one arm, a common stylistic mannerism of Gandhāra” (Guy 2022, 97) “the sacred cord (yajnopavita)” | medium | |
Long necklace | people, bodhisattva, ornaments of bodhisattva, necklace set, central stone of a necklace, long necklace with one or multiple strands | medium | ||
Short necklace | short flat-band necklace with decoration of rosettes separated by vertical fillets | medium | ||
Armlet with lobe (armlet with keyūra) | armlet | medium | ||
Thong sandal | thong sandal | medium | ||
Thong sandal | thong sandal | medium | ||
Nimbus of bodhisattva | nimbus of bodhisattva | medium | ||
Earring | earring, ring-shaped | medium | ||
Earring | earring, ring-shaped | medium | ||
Standing bodhisattva | bodhisattva, standing position | (Harle 1974, 132) “identifiable by the small seated Tathagata figure on the crest of his turban” (Pal 1984, 191) “identified as Avalokitesvara by the effigy of a seated Buddha that appears in the crest of his turban”
(Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “identified as such on the evidence of the small seated figure of the Buddha Amitābha in his turban crest”
(Tissot 2005, 398) “half its right arm intact and above all a complete head with the small Buddha seated in the knot of the headdress identifying it… head seems to be on a slightly smaller scale then that of Maitreya” (Fussman 2012, 32) “Avalokiteśvara is shown with a little Buddha sitting in his turban” (Guy 2022, 97) “Avalokiteshvara, the highest embodiment of compassion, already displays his defining cognitive sign in his turban cockade, a diminutive image of the transcendent Buddha Amitabha” | dark | |
Turban | skull-cap turban with decorated zones, fantail, figured central diadem and ribbons | medium | ||
Uttarīya | uttarīya | light | ||
Girdle | girdle | light | ||
Left hand at the waist | medium | |||
Gesture of reassurance | gesture of reassurance | medium | ||
Cross-piece necklace | necklace set, second long cross-necklace resting on the upper right arm with stones | medium | ||
Brahmanical cord | necklace set, brahmanical cord passing under right armpit with amulet boxes (kavaca) | (Harle 1974, 133) “a cord with amulets and armlets, these last appearing in outline under the shawl draped over one arm, a common stylistic mannerism of Gandhāra” | medium | |
Long necklace | necklace set, central stone of a necklace, long necklace with one or multiple strands | medium | ||
Short necklace | short flat-band necklace with decoration of rosettes separated by vertical fillets | medium | ||
Armlet with lobe (armlet with keyūra) | armlet with lobe | medium | ||
Wristlet | wristlet | medium | ||
Thong sandal | thong sandal | medium | ||
Thong sandal | thong sandal | medium | ||
Earring | earring, pendent | medium | ||
Earring | pendent, earring | medium | ||
Moustache | moustaches | (Harle 1974, 132) “clean shaven but a highly realistic boursoufflure of flesh above the upper lip” | medium | |
Nimbus of bodhisattva | nimbus of bodhisattva | medium | ||
Brahmā | brahmā | (Harle 1974, 132) “identifying feature is the long lock of hair lying on the top of his hair, ichnographically an Indian jaṭā but here rendered as a Greek krobylos. In keeping with his ascetic character, Brahma wears no jewellery, appears to be carrying a bowl in his left hand and wears a simple robe leaving his right shoulder bare” (Pal 1984, 191) ascetic figure represents Brahma” (Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “attitude suggests that the artist possibly had a literary source, such as the Mahāhavastu, in mind according to which the two gods ‘Mahābrahmā’ and ‘Śakra’ (Indra) requested the Buddha after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya to set rolling the wheel of law (dharma-cakra)” (Guy 2022, 98) “unadorned ascetic figure of Brahma, with his figure-eight topknot of braided hair, likely here understood as Sahampati, who urged the newly awakened Buddha to first espouse his teachings (dharma)” | dark | |
Hair of young brahmin | hair of young brahmin | (Harle 1974, 132) “long lock of hair lying on the top of his hair, ichnographically an Indian jaṭā but here rendered as a Greek krobylos” (Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “consists of a loop of hair in figure ‘eight’, placed horizontally on the crown of his head” (Guy 2022, 98) “figure-eight topknot of braided hair” | medium | |
Kamaṇḍal | flask, plain ovoid flask | medium | ||
Dress | dress of brahmacarin, young brahmin | medium | ||
Indra | indra | (Harle 1974, 132) “identified by the fact that he is wearing a crown. He also wears ear-rings, a torque, a necklace and armlets and held the vajra (thunderbolt), now broken, in his left hand” (Pal 1984, 191) “crowned figure on the right hols a thunderbolt and is certainly Indra” (Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “attitude suggests that the artist possibly had a literary source, such as the Mahāhavastu, in mind according to which the two gods ‘Mahābrahmā’ and ‘Śakra’ (Indra) requested the Buddha after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya to set rolling the wheel of law (dharma-cakra)” (Guy 2022, 98) “pentagonal-crowned Indra, the Vedic storm god and bringer of rains who is Buddhism presides over the devas that populate the various paradises to which the liberated are reborn. He holds the thunderbolt sceptre (vajra), of office, not yet metamorphized into Vajrapani, its Buddhist personification” | dark | |
Mukuta | mukuta | (Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “enriched by several jewelled tassels” (Guy 2022, 98) ) “pentagonal-crown” | medium | |
Hourglass-shaped vajra | hourglass-shaped vajra | (Mitterwallner 1987, 215) “conical ends” | medium | |
Long necklace | long necklace with one or multiple strands | medium | ||
Long necklace | long necklace with one or multiple strands | medium | ||
Short necklace | short flat-band necklace with decoration of rosettes separated by vertical fillets | medium | ||
Brahmanical cord | brahmanical cord passing under right armpit with amulet boxes (kavaca), necklace set | medium | ||
Earring | pendent, earring | medium | ||
Earring | pendent, earring | medium | ||
Moustache | moustaches | medium | ||
Uttarīya | uttarīya | light | ||
Armlet with lobe | armlet with lobe | armlet with keyūra | medium | |
Robe | robe for standing bodhisattva, robe for standing bodhisattva with uttarīya and paridhāna's girdle exposed | (Harle 1974, 133) “dhoti and a long scarf looped over the left upper arm and shoulder, down in front and over the right fore-arm” | medium | |
Budhanada - schist Buddha triad (year 5) | Transliteration
sa(*ṃ) 4 1 phagunasa masasa di paṃcami budhanadasa trepiḍakasa danamukhe madapidarana adhvadidana puyaya bhavatu Translation
In the year , on the 5th day of the month of Phaguna; a donation of Bhudnada, the knower of the Tripitika. May it be for the honour of the mother and father who have passed away. | medium | ||
Flowering tree crown | flowering tree crown | (Harle 1974, 132) the characteristic tree which shelters the Buddha in most of these images has, furthermore, not been identified with certainty, in spite of the peculiar appearance of its leaves and blossoms or fruits” (Pal 1984, 191) “[tree] has not been positively identified… garlands emerging from the clusters of leaves, seems more celestial than terrestrial” (Mitterwallner 1987, 216) “consisting of several stems which rise behind his head and unfold in branches with rosettes at their ends, from the centres of which jewel-tassels hang (Tissot 2005, 396) “mango tree forming dais above head of the Buddha” (Guy 2022, 99) “wish-fulfilling jewel tree (cintamani), with its abundant openwork leaves from which hang strings of pearls and gems” | dark |
Conventional Name Ajidaseṇa Gold Sheet | Findspot Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swāt – Mata | Archeological Report: Fussman 1986 | Item Rectangular Gold Sheet | Surface Recto | Dimensions Height: 4cm, Width: 11cm | Date Ajidaseṇa 4 | Collection Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum: 101740 | Current Location Hokuto, Japan | Language/Script Gāndhārī/Kharoṣṭḥī
Content Summary
King Ajidaseṇa establishes relics of the completely enlightened and perfect Lord in a previously unestablished stupa. Past, future and present Buddhas, disciples of the Buddha and the kings parents are honoured. This serves for the elimination of suffering, and for nirvana.
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Avś
Be
Ce
Ch.
CPS
DhG
Ee
FJJ
Mahīś
MūSā
Mvu
P
SĀ
SBhV
Se
Skt.
SN
T
Tib.
Vin
Avadānaśataka (ed. Speyer 1906–1909)
Burmese (Chaṭṭhasaṅgāyana) edition
Sri Lankan (Buddha Jayanti Tipiṭaka Series) edition
Chinese
Catuṣpariṣat-sūtra (ed. Waldschmidt 1952–1962)
Dharmaguptaka
European (Pali Text Society) edition
Fobenxing ji jing (T 190)
Mahīśāsaka
Mūlasarvāstivāda
Mahāvastu-avadāna (ed. Senart 1882–1897)
Pali
Saṃyukta-āgama (T 99)
Saṅghabhedavastu (ed. Gnoli 1977–1978)
Thai (King of Siam) edition
Sanskrit
Saṃyutta-nikāya
Taishō 大正 edition
Tibetan
Vinaya
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