bracket;
figure
- Museum number
- 1959,0717.1
- Description
-
Nāgadanta or stupa peg with a male protome. The unmodelled round face is full, fleshy and naively rendered with open ringed eyes and a damaged nose and mouth. The turban has broad twisted bands meeting at the front centre and the remains of a projection or crest above; hair emerges at the sides and a large disc earring on each side lacks its ear. A narrow light garment or scarf, looped on the left shoulder and with grooves defining folds, runs across the body onto the lower garment and round the back. The chest is modelled to indicate the breasts. The lower garment has a girdle and clumsy vertical and diagonal grooves for drapery folds. A broad collar has a beaded and scrolled motif and the right arm wears a triple beaded bracelet. The damaged hands evidently held a floral garland of which indications survive as a short beaded swag. The rising acanthus below the figure's middle has five leaves; that at the centre is damaged, but no doubt had drooping lobes. The outer edges of the moulded volute are separated above the head of the figure by a short transversely ribbed groove and the whole is continuously joined to the head.
- Production date
- 2ndC-3rdC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 14 centimetres (at tenon)
-
Height: 19.60 centimetres
-
Width: 6.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Zwalf 1996:
For comparisons see BM 1892.1103.78.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- 1.Grey-green steatite, broken and chipped.
2.Roughly smoothed and tapering tenon at back with rough end which may be broken.
3.Thin straight mason's centre-line runs along top and can be followed up back of volute where, however, it ceases to be central.
4.One side of volute at top is damaged along with top of turban; both hands are lost with top of acanthus.
- Acquisition date
- 1959
- Acquisition notes
- Purchased from Messrs Arcade Gallery.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1959,0717.1
