Skip to Main Content

Section of a Coping Rail

c. 150 BCE
sandstone
Overall: 30.5 x 122 cm (12 x 48 1/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1972.366
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Known for having excellent vertical climbing abilities, the Indian monitor lizard (godha) is prized for its skin and meat.

Description

A coping rail is the top portion of a fence that connects the upright posts. Here, an undulating lotus rhizome blossoms with jewelry, and in the spaces between are scenes from two of the Buddha's past lives. At the left, a man catches and kills a lizard to eat it, and then lies about its running off (Godha Jataka); at the right an ascetic performs a Vedic fire sacrifice (possibly the Rajovada Jataka).
Section of a Coping Rail

Section of a Coping Rail

c. 150 BCE

India, Madhya Pradesh, Bharhut, Shunga period

Videos

Asceticism

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.