Last Existence: Simultaneous Births

Fragment of frieze relief showing the Simultaneous Births. According to Buddhist textual accounts, Chandaka, Siddhārtha's groom, and Kaṇṭhaka, a marvellous white horse, were born on the same day as Siddhārtha, and became the Bodhisattva’s favourites. The scene was framed by an encased pilaster of the Gandharan-Corinthian type of which only the right one remains. The base is plain. On the bottom face, a rectangular tenon is carved. Short vertical marks of a large flat chisel can be seen on the back face. The scene depicts Kaṇṭhaka, a foal, suckling his mother. The latter is shown in profile looking left. The outline of a tree is visible in the background.