154 linrothe
The vase the Maitreya holds is of more than passing interest (fig. 5.2). The
sculptor has gone beyond the simple iconographic requirement of a kuṇḍikā
or kamaṇḍalu, a water-pot, held in one of the hands of Maitreya. Its bulbous
shoulders tapering into a long neck and splaying into a wide mouth, along
with the visibly fluted lower section, makes a distinct reference to Iranian
Figure 5.3 Detail of fig. 5.1
Photo: Rob Linrothe, 2010.
Figure 5.2
Detail of fig. 5.1
Photo: Rob Linrothe, 2010.