ClassificationsAsian Art
The Conversion of Nanda
PeriodKushan
Date2nd-3rd Century CE
MediumGrey schist
Credit LineAnonymous gift
DimensionsMaximum w/out base: 9 1/2 × 16 3/4 × 3 in. (24.1 × 42.5 × 7.6 cm)
Maximum incl. Base: 11 3/16 × 21 × 7 in. (28.4 × 53.3 × 17.8 cm)
Object number2015.028.001
Label TextThe Buddha Shakyamuni sits under a tree, his right hand raised in a have-no-fear gesture, his left grasping his robe. His hair is piled on his head suggesting his ushnisha, a cranial bump that marks him as the Awakened One. The panel depicts the conversion of the Buddha’s cousin, Nanda. As a member of the Buddha’s family, Nanda sports the same hairstyle despite not being awakened just yet.Nanda appears three times. On the left, he speaks to his beautiful wife who holds a lotus flower, her arm richly adorned with bangles. On the right, he cradles a begging bowl. In the middle, he supplicates the Buddha with folded hands. According to legend, the Buddha received no food when begging at Nanda’s house. Embarrassed by this lack of hospitality, Nanda runs after him, but the Buddha just silently hands him his bowl. Nanda follows the Buddha to the monastery where he learns about the dangers of sensual attachment and takes vows to become a Buddhist monk.
The bare-chested figure is probably Vajrapani, a guardian figure whose depiction in Gandhara was influenced by representations of the Greek god Herakles.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, August 28, 2021 - Present
ProvenanceEx private collection, United States, assembled in Iran, 1970s.
Status
On viewCollections
- Asian Art
13th-14th Century
early 17th Century
2nd-3rd Century CE
10th Century
11th-12th Century
15th Century
2nd-3rd Century CE
2nd Century CE
15th Century
11th Century
14th Century
18th Century
