Grey schist

Gandhara 4th century

Dimensions: Height 16,5 cm Wide 14 cm Depth 3 cm with base

Weight: 1679 grams

This fragment shows a story of the life of Buddha.

We see a woman in her sleep, lying on a bed and three attendants standing or sitting next to her.

The sleeping woman is Maya Devi, the Queen of Shakya and Buddha's mother.

According to legend she had a dream of an elephant entering her womb before conceiving Gautama Buddha.

A small elephant can be seen floating above her waist.

At the top of the fragment is a railing with an arch and celestial beings are watching over her.