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Secondary sourceSculpture100s CE

Scenes from the Life of the Buddha Relief

100s CE

A carved stupa relief from the 100s CE showing scenes from the Buddha's early life, including his birth.

Depicts the birth and infancy of the Buddha as part of a larger narrative relief for a stupa.

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Photo of a dark gray schist stone relief carved with multiple tiers of narrative scenes and small seated figures in niches, set against a black-to-gray backdrop. Carved architectural arches frame the panels.
Scenes from the Life of the Buddha relief, 100s CE. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This narrative stone relief, made in the 100s CE to decorate a Buddhist stupa, shows scenes from the early life of the Buddha arranged from top to bottom, beginning with his birth. It is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Why it matters

The relief tells the story of the Buddha's birth and infancy through images meant to be understood without text, including his mother shown like a tree deity and a small figure representing the baby Buddha's first seven steps. It also includes the bodhisattva Maitreya, believed by Buddhists to be the next Buddha, showing how the Buddha's story was connected to a larger religious timeline.

Look closer

  • How does the relief use size and position to show different moments in the story?
  • Why might the Buddha's mother be shown like a tree deity?
  • What does including Maitreya suggest about how Buddhists understood the Buddha's place in a longer history?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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