This is a Pala stone relief of a seated Buddha. It epitomises Pala stone sculpture which was usually executed in a fine-grained greyish-black chlorite complete with a highly polished finish. Centres of Pala sculpture included Kurikhara, Bodhgaya, Murshidabad, Muzaffarpur, Rajshahi, Nalanda and Dhakka; this piece is probably from Nalanda. Pala influence extended to Nepal and Tibet and as far as Southeast Asia and China. This stone relief shows the Buddha seated in meditation, a kirtimukha or face of glory at the helm of the arch with curling floral creepers which connect with the foliate tails of the half-bird couple kinnara-kinari on either side of the arch.
