relief stone fragment

relief stone fragment , 100s–200s CE, Kushan dynasty

Where object was made: Gandhara (present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan)

Material/technique: schist

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 13.5 x 35.5 x 6 cm without mount
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 5 5/16 x 14 x 2 3/8 in
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 26 x 43 x 15 cm with mount
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 10 1/4 x 16 15/16 x 5 7/8 in

Credit line: Gift of Richard Crank in memory of Ed Grier

Accession number: 2009.0093

On display: Stewart Gallery

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This sculptural fragment was likely created for a stupa, a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine built to contain ashes of the Buddha, remains of Buddhist holy figures, or sacred objects. The cylindrical drum that supported the dome and the steps leading to the elevated stupa were often decorated with relief carvings. Stupas serve as a focus for meditation as Buddhists seek to understand the Buddha’s teachings and achieve enlightenment.