Medallion 18- Bharhut Series

 

Medallion Style: Plant+Animal

This medallion continues the exploration of the palmette motif, yet here it takes on a uniquely Indian identity. The serrated, ribbed members clearly evoke the leaves and branches of the date palm. But at the center, the elongated, fan-like form most closely resembles the leaf of the Indian betel-nut (guvāka)—a palm familiar to our landscape and traditions. Flanking this guvāka leaf are bunches of fruit-bearing flowers (guvāka-manjari), reinforcing the motif’s connection to fertility and abundance.

What fascinates me is how the Bharhut artists blended local and foreign: the Mesopotamian palmette prototype, reshaped with Indian botanical symbols. From between the serrated palm leaves emerge two winged horses (valahaka-aśva)—a motif also of West Asian origin, adapted seamlessly into this design.

The palmette itself rises from the pericarp of an overblown lotus shown in three-quarter profile. This association with the lotus, long a symbol of water and creation, roots the palmette firmly in the framework of Water Cosmology. It reflects how cultural borrowings were not superficial but absorbed into the deeper philosophies of Indian art.

Information & Reference Image Credit- Remains of Bharhut Stupa in Indian Museum by Arabinda Ghosh

Original medallion

Behind the scenes