Potala Palace: Life of the Buddha - Birth of Prince Siddhartha

CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa

This image relates the story of Queen Maya giving birth to Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini Park under an asoka tree, as described in the Lalitavistara Sutra. The story is commonly depicted in paintings and reliefs but is rarely seen as a freestanding sculpture.
The queen’s face is colored to give it a moonlike quality. The blue hair adds a tint of tranquility and purity to the appearance. She wears a skirt around the slim waist while holding a branch with her right arm bent. The prince is seen coming out from the left side of Queen Maya’s body. Beside her the newborn prince is represented again taking his first step, while supported on a lotus. The two figures are surrounded by a hollow mandorla into which the blossoming tree fuses at the top. Above the mandorla is a pagoda-like decoration with a canopy with swaying sashes. Heavenly beings and servants making offerings are represented on either side of the mandorla.