Amaravati reliefs

The Amaravati reliefs use carved limestone to tell Buddhist stories. The group in Room 33a comes from a religious monument at Amaravati in southern India. Figures, buildings and signs helped visitors recognise episodes connected with the Buddha. One second-century AD slab in the collection represents the Great Departure, the episode in which the future Buddha leaves his former life. An empty-saddled horse, an umbrella and a gateway carry the scene. The absent rider is part of how the story is represented. This particular slab is currently off display, even though other Amaravati reliefs are shown in the gallery. The Great Departure slab reached the British Museum from the India Museum. Its collection history and the gallery’s current selection are different parts of the story. In an image of the slab, follow the horse beneath the umbrella towards the gateway. In the gallery, take time with the panels on view. Their figures and signs offer other episodes to read on the stone.