Ascetics

A relief representing five ascetics. The base is a plain fillet, the cornice consists of a row of vertical separate acanthus leaves with plain leaves behind. On the back there are large mostly vertical chisel marks. On top, there are two rectangular tenons. The proper right side is rebated, as arguably was also the left one. There is a nail hole drilled in the relief between the third and fourth ascetic from the left. The five ascetics depicted all appear as proceeding to the right as their tilted bodies suggest. The first one is an elderly ascetic wearing a loincloth and a mantle leaving his chest exposed and hair with stacked coil. His left hand is raised in an unidentified gesture, while he holds a water flask (kamaṇḍalu) in his right. The second elderly ascetic wears a loincloth and a mantle hanging on his left arm, is hair is also in a stacked coil, his right hand is raised (gesture of announcement/invitation to take action/guidance/salutation with open hand up) and he holds a kamaṇḍalu in his left. The third figure is a young ascetic wearing a loincloth. He has curly hair and vertical knot held by small coil. His body is turned showing the back, with face and legs in profile; his right hand is raised in a similar attitude as the other figures. Next is another young ascetic wearing a skirt and a mantle/uttarīya falling on the left arm. He has long straight hair and vertical knot held by small coil. His body is tilted to the right, while his head is turned backward, his right hand rests on the chest, and his left hand is raised pointing to the right. The last figure is an elderly ascetic with half naked chest wearing what appears to be a short tunic of the exomis type (?) and hair with stacked coil. His right hand is raised in a gesture of announcement/invitation to take action/guidance/salutation with open hand up, he was holding a kamaṇḍalu in his left.