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Life of the Buddha - Birth of Prince Siddhartha
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Life of the Buddha - Birth of Prince Siddhartha
PAKISTAN; circa 2nd–3rd century; Schist; 16 x 19.7 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The “Chapter on the Birth of Prince Siddhartha” in the Abhiniskramana Sutra relates that the pregnant Queen Maya was on her way from Kapilavastu to Devadaha and gave birth to Prince Siddhartha while she and her entourage were resting in Lumbini Garden.
The queen stands beneath a tree in the relief as Siddhartha emerges from her right side. The image of the baby prince is damaged but the general shape of the body and his nimbus is recognizable. Sakra, wearing a turban, stands to the left. He assists the queen by catching the child in a cloth. Behind Sakra are two heavenly beings. Two ladies-in-waiting are on the queen’s right side, one of them carrying a jar. This type of composition and layout is popular in Gandharan art. |
