Mahaparinirvana
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Ja, het ontvangt bezoek
Victoria and Albert Museum
ZaalBuddhism, Room 20, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist ArtLonden, Verenigd Koninkrijk
Publiek tentoongesteld. Wie daarvoor instaat, staat hieronder.
- Gecontroleerd
- 8 dagen geleden
- Ongewijzigd sinds
- 25 sep 2026
- Bron
- De eigen collectiegegevens van het museum
About the sculpture
This relief panel depicts the Buddha's death (mahaparinirvana). It probably formed part of a series of narrative reliefs depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. These would have decorated the basement platform of a structure within a monastic complex.
The Buddha is reclining on a bed with legs shaped like lion and elephants. The haloed figure is surrounded by grieving mourners. Vajrapani has collapsed in distress,while the senior disciple Mahakasyapa stands with a staff at the Buddha’s feet. The new disciple Subhadra sits serenely meditating with his robe drawn over his head.
Behind the death-bed are the five Malla princes expressing great emotion. A tree-spirit (‘yakshi'’), seen in the foliage of a sala tree, shares in the lamentation. The tree alludes to the Upavartana grove of the Malla nobles at Kusinagara (near Gorakhpur). This is where the Buddha died, possibly in 477 BCE.
Read on
This panel was excavated by A. E. Caddy in 1895 at Loriyan Tangai. This is an important Gandharan monastic site in the Shakot Pass region of the lower Swat. It was despatched to Calcutta, where it subsequently entered the collection of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India between 1898 and 1905.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Gegevens
- Inventarisnummer
- IM.247-1927
What it shows
In de catalogus
Bronnen
- Victoria and Albert Museum: the museum's own open data · opgehaald 8 dagen geleden
- Afbeelding: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
