About this objectFound on a stupa [see Stupa story] and preserved by the collapsed roof, this is a piece of votive silk used by pilgrims and others to adorn stupas and shrines visited on their travels. The pilgrims might have bought a roll and cut pieces off as needed.
This piece has five prayers to named individuals, written in Prakrit using Kharoṣṭhī, a script used in central Asia up until the 4th c. The origins of the silk are uncertain but it is possible it is a rare survival of sik from India, preserved by the collapsed roof of the stupa and desert sands.
Date Made1st-4th century
PeriodKroraina
Place MadeIndia
Subject and Association KeywordsPilgrimage
Subject and Association KeywordsSilk
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Boyer 1911; Whitfield 2018;
