Temple step (“moonstone”)
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Semicircular stone slabs have been placed at the thresholds between Andhra stupas and their shrine entrances since the early centuries CE. The Sinhalese Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle) names the moonstone as patika, a divider separating the mundane and spiritual realms. To cross it is to enter the presence of the living Buddha. At Anuradhapura, the “moonstone” step evolved into a complex decorative schema. Read as it is approached, its outer rim is bordered by flames representing the world of the senses ablaze with desire. Next is a procession of noble beasts—elephant, horse, lion, and bull—followed by the vines of ensnarement, Dharma-messenger geese (hamsas), and, at the heart, the lotus bloom.
Artwork Details
- Title: Temple step (“moonstone”)
- Period: Late Anuradhapura period
- Date: ca. 8th century CE
- Culture: Sri Lanka, central plateau, probably Anuradhapura
- Medium: Granite (gneiss)
- Dimensions: H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); W. 96 7/8 in. (123 cm); D. 48 7/16 (123 cm.)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Lent by a private collection
- Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Bonhams, London
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art