Untitled

Unknown

11th–12th century · Stone · Asian Art

This stele depicts the sacred locations that mark the eight great events in the life of the historical Buddha. It is a visual expression of the Astamahapratiharya text, composed in the early Pala period, which extols the merits of pilgrimage to the Buddha’s principal sacred sites, shown here. The sites were understood to define the sacred geography of Buddhist India.

Artist

Unknown

Date

11th–12th century

Medium

Stone

Culture

Eastern India (Bihar)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Jeff Soref and Paul Lombardi, in honor of Natalie Soref, 2015