A BLACK STONE STELE DEPICTING THE BIRTH OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA
Lot 45 - HS1225

Nepal, 18^th to 19^th century or earlier. Finely carved, the panel depicts the birth of Buddha from the side of his mother, Queen Maya, in the grove at Lumbini. She is shown reaching up to break a bough with her right hand, similar in pose to a Salabhanjika Yakshi. Beside Mayadevi stands the newborn Siddartha on a double lotus, his right hand raised in abhaya mudra, the gesture of reassurance, while the left is lowered, reminiscent of images of standing Buddhas holding the hem of a monastic robe. Above the infant, two devaputras shown emerging from clouds pour elixir from full vases brimming with lotus flowers.

Provenance: From the collection of Jean-Marc Andral, acquired in the local art market in Rajasthan, India, in October 1990. A copy of a provenance statement, written by Jean-Marc Andral, dated 24 April 2025, confirming the above, accompanies this lot. Jean-Marc Andral is a Belgian manager based in Brussels and active in the healthcare industry for over 25 years.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, natural fissures, small chips, scattered nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, and few minor touchups.

Weight: 58.5 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: 66 cm (excl. stand), 67 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted on an associated stand. (2)

Mayadevi’s garment, rendered in a transparent manner and only sparsely decorated with double incised lines, is secured by a broad cowrie-shell girdle from which a long sash hangs down between her legs. Her upper body is nude except for an ornate headdress, a pair of earrings, bejeweled necklaces, and bracelets and armlets. Emphasis is given to the representation of Maya, who affirms her status as both a yakshi (female nature deity) and the mother of the historical Buddha.

Literature comparison:
Compare an earlier, related stone stele depicting the birth of the Buddha, Varman or Licchavi period, 4th–5th century, National Museum Kathmandu, Nepal.