Paitava: Maitreya Bodhisattva and Figures Making Offerings

AFGHANISTAN, Parwan, Bagram

Maitreya stands at the center of this bas-relief, distinguished by a nimbus and a webbed hand raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. The figure’s long hair is arranged in a topknot, while a stole that fall from the left shoulder and loops over the robe is then supported by the right arm. Maitreya holds a vase in the left hand. The relief portrays the future Buddha surrounded by devotees. The eight figures flanking him include two females, one at either end; the one on the right is accompanied by two children. All attendant figures hold an offering in the left hand while the right hand holds either a leafy branch or a flower. The scene may reflect the religious customs of the Central Asian nomads at the time.