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10. Kushan Architrave - other side India; Mathura 1st - 2nd century red sandstone 11' x 11.5" x 9.5"
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This reverse side has a central Buddha with his right arm raised in a blessing posture and a large mandorla (nimbus) behind his head. Flower-bearing Bodhisattvas and Monks, in a procession on either side, worship the Buddha. Another pair of seated Buddhas encloses this central scene. Each Buddha, seated on a raised throne, is in a blessing posture, flanked by umbrellas. His toga-like garments show the Greco-Roman influence of the Gandharan Empire on Kushan sculpture. The outer edges of the architrave bear once again the water elementals (Makaras) that are portrayed on the reverse. There are holes bored vertically through the center of the beam where supports that held up the architrave were attached to the upright columns that formed the gateway. For a complete gateway, please refer to the Stupa at Sanchi, which is an example of an intact monumental gateway dating 100 years earlier. Detail: a pair of celestial beings Detail: close up of one of the celestial beings |