{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O24844"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O24844/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL6826/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL6826/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GL6826","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BF8219","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KJ9716","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O24844/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O24844","accessionNumber":"IS.46-1948","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This seal is accompanied by an impression made from it in modern times to show what the positive image would look like. The female figure it depicts probably represents the Buddhist goddess Hariti wearing Indian dress and holding a cornucopia or horn of plenty. Hariti was a child-eating ogress but after her conversion to Buddhism she became a protector of children and was worshipped as a mother goddess. In the last centuries BC and early centuries AD the region of Gandhara in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan had close cultural, political and trade connections with the Greek and Roman worlds. The region became a Buddhist stronghold from around the late first or mid second century AD. This seal is probably an example of adaptation of Greek or Roman concepts to Indian iconography. It has been pointed out by the late J.C. Harle that the cornucopia shows differs from its Greek and Roman models, while the sword she holds is not an attribute of Hariti. It is thought to have been engraved by an artisan trained in the Indo-Iranian tradition.","physicalDescription":"Seal, brown in colour, depicting a female clad in Indian dress, holding a cornucopia. The seal is accompanied by a plaster impression (IS.46:A-1948) made in modern times.\r\nThis is a fine large intaglio showing the Goddess Hariti in flowing robes, with a jewelled scarf floating behind her.  She holds a cornucopia with her left hand in the positive impression, and a drapery hangs in folds from her left wrist.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sardonyx\r\nPlate","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Hardstone","id":"THES270137"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2013GL6826","2006BF8219","2017KJ9716"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"014","id":"THES394695"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"014","id":"THES394695"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Seal","id":""}],[{"text":"Impression","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"},{"place":{"text":"Pakistan","id":"x30015"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 2nd century -4th century","earliest":"0095-01-01","latest":"0400-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From the collection of Major-General H.L. Haughton.","historicalContext":"This seal depicts a female clad in Indian dress holding a cornucopia.  It is probably intended to represent Hariti, but by an engraver not well versed in Buddhist imagery; the sword the figure holds is not an attribute if Hariti and the cornucopia is not well understood.  It was probably produced by an engraver trained in the Indo-Iranian tradition upon which much Kusana art drew.","briefDescription":"Seal, sardonyx, North-west of Indian subcontinent, ca.2nd-4th century, with plaster impression","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"J. C. Harle in S. Stronge (ed) A Golden Treasury.  Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent, Victoria & Albert Museum / Mapin, 1988, nos. 10-14"}],"production":"North-west of Indian subcontinent\r\nKushan period","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Buddhist","id":"AAT73738"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"11. SEAL AND IMPRESSION\r\nSardonyx\r\nNorth-western India or Pakistan\r\nKushan\r\nc. 2nd-4th century AD\r\nThe seal depicts a female clad in India [sic] dress, holding a cornucopia. It is probably the Buddhist goddess Hariti and appears to have been engraved by an artisan trained in the Indo-Iranian tradition.\r\nIS.46&A-1948","date":{"text":"1990","earliest":"1990-01-01","latest":"1990-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.46-1948","IS.46A-1948"],"accessionNumberNum":"46","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1948,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Seal","Impression"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-07","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-13","availableToBook":false}}