Object: Relief panel
Title: Brahma
Date: 11th century
Techniques:Grey sandstone, with traces of yellow pigment
Place: Bagan, Burma (possibly)
Dimensions : Height 30.5 cm, Width 22.2 cm (base),Museum number
Current Location : Victoria and Albert Museum
ID - IM.39-1917
ID - IM.39-1917
Relief panel of the Trimurti, a triad of the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, who represent the creative, preservative and destructive principles. The panel is carved in high-relief with a figure seated cross-legged and with palms joined together near the breast. The three faces turn to the front and to each side, their ribbed hair braided into three elaborate cone shapes with a lotus finial resting upon them. Except for the headgear, the sculpture is devoid of any other ornamentation or attribute. The upper torso of the image is bare, but the lower part of the body is clad. The hand and seating postures, as well as long earlobes, are notable for their Buddhist influence.
The exact provenance of this panel is uncertain. It was one of a series collected by Dr J. Anderson, who travelled through upper Burma in 1869 on the first British Expedition to Yunnan and bequeathed to his widow, Mrs G. S. Anderson. It has also been suggested that it could have originated in Eastern Bengal.
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