Sikri: Life of the Buddha - Birth of Prince Siddhartha

PAKISTAN, Balochistan, Sikri; Kushan period

The sculpture was unearthed from Sikri and depicts Queen Maya giving birth to Prince Siddhartha under the Asoka tree. The queen raises her right hand to grasp one of the tree’s branches while standing in the tribhanga posture with one leg crossed and her head turned to one side. The prince, with a nimbus behind his head, emerges from the side where the queen has her raised arm, to be received into a cloth held by the turbaned Sakra. Mahaprajapati stands next to her sister the queen and carefully supports her. Two ladies-in-waiting stand behind the queen, holding a peacock fan and a water jar. Brahma, followed by other heavenly beings, one of whom is holding a drum and another whistling, accompanies Sakra on the other side.