Allahabad Muesum
Acc. No. AM-SCL-208
Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 5th century CE H.91.5 x W. 44.5 cm
The stone statue of Buddha seated cross-legged on a high pedestal in the attitude of dharmacakra pravertana. The nose, finger, feet and lower part is badly broken and weatherworn but traus of fire devotees are visible on the pedestal. The left hand is delicately modelled, but the torso is somewhat flat and block-like suggesting a date slightly later than the Sarnath images of A.D. 474 and 477. The pedestal is unusually high and severely damaged so that only the heads of the standing figures that were carved on the dado can be discerned. The circular halo, a fragment of which is visible behind the head, lacks the lotus scroll, being decorated with scallops and a row of beads. The back of the seat, the posts, and crossbar of which are not shown has rampant vyalas on either side, above which is Makara heads with curling snouts, their paws resting on the vyalas heads.
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