South Asia, India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Kushan Period, ca. late 1st to 3rd century CE. A marvelous red sandstone crossbar bearing the relief rondel of a lotus flower with a central disc and 3 layers of radiating petals. The crossbar presents a rounded front face, planar sides, and acutely-angled top and bottom peripheries. Buddhism emphasizes the lotus as an auspicious symbol of purity and enlightenment, and much of their sculpture and architecture contains floral motifs in reference to the sacred lotus. This carving may have served as part of a railing in a shrine as seen in Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1943.71 or as an architrave spanning above the tops of 2 columns, possibly serving as part of a doorway within a shrine or monastery site. The red hues of the natural sandstone and the rest of the decorative carvings must have made for an impressive building. Size: 19" L x 8.5" W (48.3 cm x 21.6 cm)

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#144456

Losses and chipping to peripheries and corners. Expected nicks and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with great remaining detail and pigments. Light earthen deposits.