{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O168373"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O168373/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC5341/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC5341/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BC5341","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JX8684","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O168373/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O168373","accessionNumber":"IM.13-1931","objectType":"Relief panel","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This large-scale terracotta relief of a Buddha sitting cross-legged in meditating position was recovered from the collapsed remains of a 5th-6th century stupa at Kahu-jo-daro, near Mirpur Khas, in Sind, Pakistan. It came from a recess in one of the faces of the square basement section of the stupa and it is one of a series of depictions of Buddhas that decorated the walls of the basement.\r\nStupas were the archetypal Buddhist structures, developing from cairns made to cover relics of the Buddha but later covering other sacred relics and objects and acting as a distinctive symbol of Buddhism. Early examples were probably simple hemispherical mounds of earth but over time they came to be encased in brick or stone and became more elaborate and often taller, the dome being mounted on a cylindrical drum, surrounded by a processional pathway with railings. The drum was, in turn, in some places raised on a square base. Similarly, elaborate programmes of sculpture came to be used to adorn some stupas. At the time this stupa was made Buddhism was far more widely practised in India than it is today, the religion having all but disappeared in northern India around the thirteenth century.","physicalDescription":"Panel of terracotta, with traces of colour. The panel is rectangular. In the middle is a high-relief figure of a Buddha on a lotus-seat, seated with the hands in the lap in the dhyana mudra. The definitions of the hair, eyes and forehead 'urna' are obtained by impressed circles. The halo has a border of square and round rosettes, beading and crenellations. The panel is framed by a raised hatched border.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"terracotta","id":"AAT10669"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Terracotta","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BC5341","2017JX8684"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"47F","id":"THES49793"},"free":"","case":"PL007","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Pakistan","id":"x30015"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Sind"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"5th century -6th Century","earliest":"0400-01-01","latest":"0600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"68","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"47.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"14","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"78","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"With plinth","note":"Height on modern plinth"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"47","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"Modern plinth","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"43","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"08/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-08","latest":"2026-01-08"},"part":"With plinth","note":"Height on modern plinth"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The panel came from a recess in one of the faces of the basement of a Buddhist stupa at Kahu-jo-daro, near Mirpur-khas, Sind.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"BUDDHA FROM THE BASEMENT OF STUPA: Terracotta relief, Kahu-jo-daro, near Mirpur Khas, Sind, Pakistan. Gupta period, 5th-6th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Journal of Bombay Branch, Royal Asiatic Society, vol. IX, pp.44 ff.\r\n\r\n\r\nClarke, John: Arts of Asia, vol. 45, no. 5, September - October 2015, \"The Buddha image in Asia: Phase One of the Robert  H. N.Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist Art\",  p.115, pl. 3."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Annual Report, Archaeological Survey of India, 1909-10, pp.80 ff."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mukherjee, Sabyasachi. 'The Reconstruction of a Buddhist Stupa at Mirpurkhas', in MARG Publications, vol. 60, no. 1, September, 2008 'Sindh: Past Glory, Present Nostalgia'."}],"production":"From the stupa near Mirpurkhas","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Buddha","id":"N5274"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Seated Buddha\r\nAD 400–600\r\nGupta dynasty\r\nThe rounded facial features of this Buddha and its flower\r\ndecorated halo show that it was made during the Gupta\r\ndynasty of India. The similarities between this figure and\r\nthe Chinese seated Buddha nearby shows how Buddhist\r\nteachings and art styles were transmitted from India to\r\nChina via Central Asia during these centuries.\r\nKahu-jo-daro, near Mirphur Khas, Sind, Pakistan\r\nTerracotta\r\nMuseum no. IM.13-1931","date":{"text":"03.8.2015","earliest":"2015-08-03","latest":"2015-08-03"}},{"text":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Buddha from a Stupa\r\n\r\n400–600 \r\nGupta period \r\n\r\nBuddhists built stupas or mounds to enclose relics of the Buddha \r\nand later teachers, as well as other important artefacts such as \r\nsacred books. Originally hemispherical cairns, the stupas became \r\nmore elaborate in shape. Pilgrims came from afar to worship the \r\nstupas, walking round and round them on a ritual path. \r\n\r\nThis relief of a meditating Buddha was recovered from a ruined \r\nstupa. It was one of a series of Buddhas that decorated its square \r\nbasement section. \r\n\r\nTerracotta \r\nPakistan (Kahu-jo-daro, near Mirpur Khas, Sind)\r\nFound in 1894 \r\n\r\nMuseum no. IM.13-1931 ","date":{"text":"06/06/2011","earliest":"2011-06-06","latest":"2011-06-06"}},{"text":"BUDDHA FROM THE BASEMENT OF STUPA: Terracotta, Kahu-jo-daro, near Mirpur Khas, Sind, Pakistan. Gupta period, 5th-6th century.\r\nThis large scale terracotta relief panel of a meditating Buddha was recovered from the collapsed remains of a 5th-6th century stupa in Sind.  The figure of the Buddha is surrounded by a floral border.  It is one of a series of Buddhas that decorated the walls of the square basement section of the stupa.","date":{"text":"2007","earliest":"2007-01-01","latest":"2007-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IM.13-1931"],"accessionNumberNum":"13","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1931,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-15","recordCreationDate":"2008-10-02","availableToBook":false}}