{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O93301"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93301/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019ME6832/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019ME6832/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019ME6832","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU2248","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O93301/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O93301","accessionNumber":"IM.81-1939","objectType":"Sculptural fragment","titles":[{"title":"Birth of Buddha","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"This fragment shows only a small section of a scene depicting the Birth of Buddha.  From the right, Maya's right arm appears in the fragment, grasping the branch of a sala tree.   Five bracelets adorn her wrist.  From under her elbow, the head of the Buddha, now destroyed, emerged surrounded with a tiny nimbus.  To the left the head of Indra in profile gazes at the child.  He wears an elaborate turban with a cockade on top, a circular earring and a drooping moustache. A nimbus with an incised margin is carved behind his head.   Behind Indra, on a higher level the head and upper torso of a turbaned figure appears with his index and the little finger of his left hand into his mouth, in a gesture of amazement. His right arm was formerly raised, but is now destroyed, and held the end of his <i>uttariya</i> which he waves energetically above his head. In the extreme upper left hand corner there is a drum.\n      The fragment is carved in high relief, and the rear has lines of broad horizontal chisel marks which bear traces of beige-coloured mortar.  The top side of the panel shows the schist is stained with a reddish colour, suggesting that there are veins of iron running through it.\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"schist","id":"AAT11626"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved grey schist","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"}],"styles":[{"text":"Gandharan","id":"AAT18889"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2019ME6832","2017JU2248"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"023","id":"THES373741"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Fragment","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Pakistan","id":"x30015"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"excavated at Abarchinar, Swat Valley. Abarchinar is a group of monastery ruins up a ravine which runs into the Najigram Valley, the central of the three valleys which lies to the south of Barikot, by the Swat River."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2nd half 2nd century","earliest":"0150-01-01","latest":"0200-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Presented  by Barger and Wright","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"0.295","unit":"m","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"0.23","unit":"m","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Acquired from Evert Barger, Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Bristol and Philip Wright, V&A Museum, as part of the collection of finds excavated during their expedition to the Swat valley in 1938. This is no. 142 in Barger's lists.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Fragment of a carved relief of a narrative scene of the birth of Buddha, grey schist, 2nd century AD, Swat Valley","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barger, E. and Wright, P., ‘Excavations in Swat and Explorations in the Oxus Territories of Afghanistan, a detailed report of the 1938 expedition’,<u> Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India</u>, vol. 64, Calcutta, 1941."},{"reference":{"text":"Ackermann, Hans Christoph. <u>Narrative Stone Reliefs from Gandhara in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Catalogue and Attempt at a Stylistic History.</u> Reports and Memoirs. Director of the Series Giuseppe Tucci. Volume XVII. IsMEO, Rome, 1975.","id":"AUTH330359"},"details":"p. 91, pl. XXVIIb","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Indra","id":"N883"},{"text":"","id":""}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"turban","id":"AAT46127"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Buddhist","id":"AAT73738"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IM.81-1939"],"accessionNumberNum":"81","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1939,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-19","availableToBook":true}}