National Art Gallery, Government Museum, Chennai (Madras)







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Buddhist Sculptures



Large Slab (Period I)

      It shows a man and boy standing on a brick platform. The man wears a big turban and heavy ornaments. He carries a pear-shaped purse in his left hand while his right hand is placed on the head of the boy. The boy also wears heavy ornaments and carries a bunch of lotus flowers in his left hand.

Large Slab (Period I)

Casing Slab , Broken (period IV)

Casing Slab, broken (Period IV)

     The sculpture depicts the story of Mara's attack on the Bodhisattva. In the sculpture, the Bodhisattva is seated on a high pedestal. On his left stands Mara (head missing) holding a long bow. Below the Bodhisattva's seat are dwarfs, the hosts of Mara. Flanking these dwarfs are Mara's daughters.

     The belly of a dwarf shown as a human face is interesting.

..

Pillar (Period III)

     The sculpture depicts he story of the Buddha performing a miracle.

     The central circular panel (partly defaced) shows the mango tree with an empty throne and flaming pillar surmounted by a trisula beneath it suggesting the Buddha's presence.


     Devotees including princesses surround the throne. In the panel above, the Buddha is levitating in air with flames issuing from his body and water from his feet. The Buddha is bedecked with jewels and is in the garb of a god. Devotees adore him on all sides. In the lower three panels, a Nagaraja, a Garuda and two great gods with umbrella above them are proceeding together. The Dancing Gandharvas and dwarf Yaksha are depicted over a border, which is composed of a central foliage pattern, terminal makaras and running lion and griffin.

Pillar (Period III)

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