Stupa Railing Medallion with Lotus

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Stupa Railing Medallion with Lotus

Place of OriginIndia, likely Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) or Bharhut (Madhya Pradesh)

DateShunga Dynasty (185-75 BCE)

DimensionsH: 9 1/8 in. (230.2 mm); W: 9 3/4 in. (240.8 mm); Depth: 3 in. (70.6 mm)

MediumCarved mottled red sandstone.

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family

Object number

2006.140

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 35

DescriptionA carved stone fragment, roughly square in profile, featuring a central circular medallion in low relief. The medallion contains a fully bloomed lotus flower (padma) with radiating petals surrounding a central seed pod. The stone is a deep reddish-brown hue with mottled spotting characteristic of certain Indian sandstone varieties. The surface shows signs of wear and accretion, with noted wax deposits on the reverse and top.

Label TextThis stone fragment once formed part of a vedika, the sacred railing surrounding a stupa—a massive dome-shaped monument housing relics of the Buddha. Pilgrims would walk around the stupa in a ritual clockwise path, separated from the outside world by these railings. The central carving depicts a lotus (padma), a potent symbol in Buddhism representing purity and spiritual birth; just as a lotus blooms immaculately from muddy waters, the enlightened mind rises above worldly suffering. The flattened, rhythmic style of the carving identifies it with the Shunga dynasty, an era of prolific early Buddhist art.Published ReferencesUnpublishedComparative ReferencesCf. Lee, Sherman E., A History of Far Eastern Art, 4th ed., New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1982, pp. 83-85.