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Bihar: Mora Jataka
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Bihar: Mora Jataka
INDIA, Bihar; circa 9th century; Schist; H: 19.7 cm; Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California, USA
This relief was excavated in Bihar and is believed to depict Pali Jataka No. 159, the Mora Jataka. The story tells of a Bodhisattva who manifested as a peacock to instruct a king.
Two peacocks are in profile and perch on round pedestals, while the king kneels with palms joined. There is humility in the king's expression as he requests advice from the peacocks. The composition is simple, but the figure of the king is extremely detailed, a characteristic found in the Bodhgaya region during the 9th to 10th centuries of the Pala period (circa 8th-12th century). Archaeologists have only excavated one other example of a Jakata relief that dates to the Pala period, making this relief extremely rare. |
