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Lot Essay
Despite it's small proportions this embroidery creates a considerable amount of movement. The spiralling motion of the twisted ribbon that fills the border is echoed in the arrangement of the leafy vine in the minor stripes. The two rows of alternating blue and red flowers in the central field sway in the wind and the linked serrated leaves that form the apex of the prayer arch could be seen to mimic the fluttering strings of prayer flags that decorate Buddhist religious sites.
The metal-thread embroidered wheel of Dharma, one of the ashtamangala symbols of Buddhism, is depicted in the apex of the arch and appears to spin in motion above the treasure vase that represents the showering of health and wealth that come with enlightenment. The wheel is one of the oldest known Buddhist symbols found in Indian art, appearing with the first surviving post-Indus Valley Civilization Indian iconography in the time of the Buddhist king Ashoka. The Buddha is said to have set the wheel in motion, symbolising the ability to cut through all obstacles and illusions.
The metal-thread embroidered wheel of Dharma, one of the ashtamangala symbols of Buddhism, is depicted in the apex of the arch and appears to spin in motion above the treasure vase that represents the showering of health and wealth that come with enlightenment. The wheel is one of the oldest known Buddhist symbols found in Indian art, appearing with the first surviving post-Indus Valley Civilization Indian iconography in the time of the Buddhist king Ashoka. The Buddha is said to have set the wheel in motion, symbolising the ability to cut through all obstacles and illusions.