Cleveland Museum of Art
Worshippers at a sacred tree
- Date
- about 50 BCE to 50 CE
- Medium
- limestone
- Culture
- Southern India, Andhra Pradesh, possibly Chandavaram
- Department
- Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
The square railing surrounding the base of the trunk is the marker of a sacred tree. This tree has the distinctive heart-shaped leaves of the Bodhi tree ( ficus religiosa ), which is the type of tree under which the Buddha reached enlightenment. Each of the the worshippers holds a narrow-necked pot with lotus flowers emerging from the mouth. The lotus flowers are a symbol for water, so these figures are pouring offerings of pure water to the sacred tree.
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