panel
- Museum number
- 1972,0920.1
- Title
- Object: The Return to Kapilavastu.
- Description
-
Panel showing the Return to Kapilavastu. Two women in a palanquin flank the central woman with the child and all three wear a sleeved tunic with dense grooves defining drapery folds, long earpendants and a collar or necklace; they have finely linear hair, some falling onto the shoulders but neatly clearing the earpendants, and a wreath headdress around a high loop of hair. The wreath of the middle figure is perhaps of cloth with a beaded motif; on the two others it is apparently formed from the hair; and on the two confronted figures looped strands hang down on one side from the headdress; both flanking figures have an additional garment over the left shoulder. The child is held diagonally by large hands with big crude fingers.
On the two flanking bearers the uttarīya hangs in a narrow loop, the collar has pendants and the surviving crested turban has twisted bands; the bracelets are long and cross-hatched, the earrings have a cubical pendant. One bearer is moustached. The two behind the palanquin are visible only by their legs and paridhāna.
Slender pilasters support a roof with a beaded fascia, the Corinthian capitals have rosettes between the volutes and their returns roll mouldings. The visible side of the palanquin is decorated with a vegetal design in clear relief consisting of undulating stalks, vine leaves, buds and fruits enclosed in a straight and plain border; hanging over it appears to be a smaller carpet or textile with undulating sides and three fields, or successively smaller coverings. The outer undulating stalk encloses a motif of a standing flower flanked by buds and in the centre are two panels containing a blown lotus, the lower forming a centre for the whole. A screen of reed or cane hangs behind the woman carrying the child.
- Production date
- 1stC-2ndC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 6.20 centimetres
-
Height: 30.20 centimetres
-
Width: 30.20 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Zwalf 1996:
All the figures are notable for their stiff, angular faces, pointed features, open eyes and the densely linear style of drapery folds in the 'drawing' manner of the early Swat (But-kara I) sculptures (Faccenna, 1974: 173-4).
Note the dramatically plain background within and around the palanquin and the plain projecting border at the bottom forming the floor of the scene.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- 1.Light grey-green schist, broken and chipped.
2.Top rebated in front, flat and with chisel marks forward and damaged projection behind; sides, where undamaged, straight, narrow and rough; bottom flat and with chisel marks and rectangular tenon.
3.Back with short chisel marks in various directions.
4.Pinhole from front to back.
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Return to Kapilavastu
- Acquisition date
- 1972
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1972,0920.1