Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1st century · Silver with gold foil · Asian Art

The goddess Hariti is shown nursing a child and sitting on a throne flanked by lotuses and surmounted by auspicious geese (hamsa), the Buddha’s messengers. Stylistically this roundel can be related to first-century finds from the Taxila city of Sirkap, a dating that would make it one of the earliest known representations of Hariti. Buddhist texts tell us that Hariti originally stole and devoured children, but with the Buddha’s intervention she became their protector.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1st century

Medium

Silver with gold foil

Culture

Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1981