Untitled

Unknown

ca. 9th–10th century · Terracotta · Asian Art

Such plaques were made of clay from sacred pilgrimage sites and hence had intrinsic power as relics for pilgrims. The Buddha sits in a temple like the one at Bodhgaya, where he reached enlightenment; surrounding him is a forest of stupas and below is the same ye dharma verse found on the Buddha from Nalanda outlining the path to enlightenment, or Buddhist dharma.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 9th–10th century

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

India, Bihar, possibly Bodhgaya or Nalanda

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of John and Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1982