The Dream of Queen Māyā.
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Kushan
- Made in: Gandhara (historic - Pakistan)
- Date: 2ndC-3rdC
- Object type: panel
- Materials: schist
- Museum number: 1932,0709.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a beautifully carved panel from ancient Gandhara, depicting "The Dream of Queen Māyā." This artwork captures the queen reclining on a luxurious couch, adorned with jewelry and a wreath headdress. The story it tells is one of deep spiritual significance in Buddhist tradition. Above the queen, a large elephant appears within a glowing aureole, the sacred creature symbolizing the Bodhisattva's divine entrance into Queen Māyā’s womb.
The panel is intricately carved in schist, a stone commonly used in this region, and the details are remarkably clear. Notice the elaborate couch, the small footstool, and a slender post holding a burning oil-lamp beside the queen. A guard, perhaps surprised by the scene, stands just outside, giving the sense of a private and sacred moment. Created during the 2nd to 3rd century, this piece reflects the artistic and spiritual traditions of the Kushan Empire in what is now Pakistan.
See it in person
The Dream of Queen Māyā. is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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