Last Existence: Competitions; Mundane Scene

Part of a frieze with two superimposed registers, the lower one preserving two separate scenes from the Competitions. In order to win the young Yaśodharā over, Prince Siddhārtha proves his physical prowess and skills in archery, swordsmanship, wrestling, and other athletic practices. The upper scene originally depicted a row of figures in various attitudes. The lower scenes are separated by a framed half-column of the Gandharan-Corinthian type, the registers by a projecting straight festoon within a plain listel. The base of the relief is plain. Two circular holes for nail were drilled in the proper top left part of the upper register and in the proper bottom right part of the lower register, respectively. The scene on the right shows the Archery Competition. Siddhārtha engages in an archery contest in which he is asked to use a bow nobody could bend to shoot an arrow at a distant target, succeeding in front of the audience. Two male figures are carved standing back-turned and facing left. That in the centre is drawing a compound bow and is probably to be identified as Siddhārtha. The figure on the right is extending his right arm towards Siddhārtha’s left arm possibly to support him. A female figure, probably Yaśodhara, is sitting on the left under the proper left half of a tree. Her right hand was raised, her left was resting on the leg. The tree shows a crown with parted branches spreading upwards with lanceolate leaves. A target is carved between the branches. The scene on the left displays the Wrestling Competition. Siddhārtha has to wrestle with other competitors to prove his worth. In the centre, Siddhārtha is wrestling against a man shown back-turned. Siddhārtha has a plain nimbus. Two similar male figures are standing frontally on the sides, the left figure’s axis is off to the right. Both have the right arm raised and extending towards the left with an open hand up, while the left hand is on the chest. They both have curly hair. The upper register originally displayed a row of figures, of which only scanty traces of the outline are discernible. A man holding a mantle in his hands can be recognize in the fourth figure from the right.