Buddha and two bodhisattvas framed by arches and stupas
ca. 2nd-3rd century
This relief panel illustrates the iconographic difference between images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is a compassionate and saintly figure who has postponed his own departure into Nirvana to help all other sentient beings attain enlightenment. Here, the Buddha is the central and largest of the three figures. Typical of images of the Buddha, he wears a simple robe draped over one shoulder with no adornments. Bodhisattvas, however, are princely figures who wear crowns and jewelry, reminders of their choice to remain in the earthly realm helping others. The Buddha, who has transcended this world, does not wear the trappings of a material existence. This panel illustrates the Gandharan style of the Kushan period which reveals a strong influence from the Greco-Roman world.
Schist
17 x 21 3/4 x 3 in. (43.18 x 55.25 x 7.62 cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
44.58
