
Andesite
This is Relief No. 27 along the inner wall of the first square terrace at Borobodur. The artwork depicts the pregnant Queen Maya traveling to Lumbini Garden on her way to her parents’ home.
The Queen is seated in the center on a carriage drawn by a horse and surrounded by servants and guards. She has an oval nimbus and wears a tall crown as well as a number of pieces of jewelry. Her right hand rests upon the knee while her left elbow rests on a box at the back of the carriage. Her body is turned sideways and she seems to be looking backwards. The horse rider has his body turned toward the Queen. Behind the Queen there are attendants, one of whom is holding a parasol with a tassel flapping in the wind, giving a dynamic feel to the artwork.
The relief is well balanced with a good sense of depth, and the importance of each figure is clear.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture A-F, page 184.