Abstract
This paper deals with two significant moments of the life story of the Buddha as depicted in miniature portable shrines from Gandhara. These tiny objects of unique character represent another type of productive from the hands of Gandharan artists who used their skill so precisely by accommodating all the main characters of a story in a very limited space. In a couple of examples from these shrines, the iconography of which shall be explained in the main text, we have a very interesting depiction of Pensive Buddhistava which through light on his attitude before deciding to leave home. The second part of the present work is about the representation of Siddharta and its depiction in miniature shrines. The Buddhist narrative art depicted in general sculptures and reliefs gave freedom to followers, pilgrims, and artists to produce an inclusive picture of the whole life of the Buddha, however, this was not the case as far narrative art on portable shrines is concerned. Methodology used in the papers consist of introduction and description of the relevant fragments, their themes wise iconographical interpretation and its comparative analysis of the imagery of both the aforementioned episodes with the general narrative scheme of Gandharan sculpture. Textual references for the events have also been quoted for further studies in the future.
Keyword(s)
Buddha, Buddhisattva, pensive, renunciation, Miniature Portable Shrines, Iconography, Gandhara, Buddhist Art.