Frieze of Musicians

Description

This frieze of a group of musicians around a seated figure represents a serpent king (naga-raja) attended by performing serpent princesses. The princely figure in the center sits in a manner similar to that of the Buddha, holding a large lotus flower in his left hand. The canopy over his head, comprised of snakeheads forming a cobra hood, indicates, however, that the figure is a serpent king. Like the central figure, the musicians appear to have cobra hoods rising behind their heads. Such hoods are said to be traditional attributes of serpent (or dragon) kings, who in the Buddhist tradition rule the realm beneath the sea and protect sacred texts as yet undelivered to the world. The entire scene of this frieze was enclosed on both sides by columns set within rectilinear forms, but only the column to the left of the scene is intact in this fragment. The frieze may originally have formed part of a stair riser in a temple.