Fragment of a Railing Coping with an Unidentified Jakata in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, August 2023

Title: Fragment of a railing coping with an unidentified jataka

Period: Shunga

Date: ca. 150–100 BCE

Culture: India, Bharhut Great Stupa, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh

Medium: Sandstone

Dimensions: H. 20 1/2 in. (52 cm); W. 36 5/8 in. (93 cm); Est. D. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by Allahabad Museum, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

Object Number: TS.111

This section of a railing coping from the Bharhut Great Stupa shows narrative scenes separated by an undulating lotus-vine creeper. Such reliefs were positioned on the inner face of the coping so they could be read by visitors as they progressed around the circumambulatory passageway. Open lotus blooms serve as veritable cornucopias, yielding rich textiles and precious jewels, including a four-strand necklace, plain and granulated earrings, and a tripartite crown. These, in combination with presently unidentified narrative scenes, indicate the artist has endeavored to both educate and entice worshippers.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/761717