"Buddha's Hand" Architectural Fragment

This 19th-century architectural fragment is beautifully carved in low relief with a whimsical design of buddha's hand citrons growing upon a flowering vine. Considered an auspicious Buddhist offering, the fingered citron is named for its resemblance to the Buddha's hand in prayer, in the gesture of a Buddhist mudra. The sinuous citrons of this carved element provide unusual contrast to the fragment's otherwise naturalistic design - perhaps as evidence of the fruit's otherworldly nature.