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Secondary sourceArtifact100-300 CE

The Adoration of the Empty Throne

100-300 CE

A Kushan-era stone relief from Mathura showing devotees worshipping an empty throne that represents the Buddha's presence without depicting his body.

This relief shows the Buddha honoured symbolically through an empty throne rather than by his image.

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A reddish sandstone relief panel mounted on a pale wall. It shows an empty throne or pedestal with a wheel-like disc on its back, flanked by two standing figures with rounded headdresses, with rows of small kneeling figures and a decorative band below.
The Adoration of the Empty Throne, Mathura, Kushan dynasty, 100-300 CE. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

About this source

What it is

This sandstone relief panel, dated to the Kushan dynasty (100 to 300 CE), comes from Mathura in India. It is now held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

It shows an empty throne or pedestal decorated with a wheel-like disc, flanked by standing figures, with rows of smaller kneeling worshippers below.

Why it matters

In early Buddhist art, the Buddha was often not shown in human form. Instead, symbols like an empty throne, footprints, or a wheel stood for his presence. This relief shows that tradition, called aniconism, and reveals how early followers chose to honour him without a direct image.

Look closer

  • Why might early artists have avoided showing the Buddha's body directly?
  • What do the kneeling figures suggest about how people worshipped?
  • What does the wheel symbol usually represent in Buddhist teaching?

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