Women's Palace Guard
Haḍḍa, lost location - Historiated bas-relief
This fragmentary relief represents two sleeping women. One is leaning on a spear or a very slender column, perhaps a Yavanī, one of the guards of the gynaecaeum; the other, probably a musician, is dozing on her drum. These figures appear in the scene of the Great Departure, as Siddhārtha leaves his wife in the middle of the sleeping palace.
Observation :The schist reliefs discovered by Barthoux between 1926 and 1928 are mostly from the vicinity of the Great Stūpa K1 of Tapa-i Kafarihā, the south-western part of the main stūpa B12 of Bāgh Gaï (around B13) and the Great Stūpa TK140 of Tapa Kalān.
Bibliographical References :DAGENS Bruno - 1964 - Monuments préislamiques d’Afghanistan - pl. III, n°8
INGHOLT Harald - 1957 - Gandhāran Art in Pakistan - pl. 39a