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Thareli: Two Mothers Fighting over a Child
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Thareli: Two Mothers Fighting over a Child
PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Thareli; circa 2nd–3rd century; Schist; H: 20 cm; Taxila Museum, Pakistan
The tale illustrated is from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish in which two women dispute over the ownership of a child. No other sculptural version of this event is known to exist in the Gandharan region. The solution proposed to decide the matter is a tug of war. The king shrewdly deduces that whoever lets go first for fear of hurting the child will be the true mother. The baby stands between the disputants in this sculptural group, but holds onto the robe of the one to the left, whose hand reaches down towards it. The women have tousled hair and turn to confront each other. Their dresses are similar to Greek chitons. |
