This medallion displays a number of elements that reflect Mediterranean, Indian, and possibly even Sassanian influence. The figure portrayed here has been identified as Hariti due to the attributes, which include a lotus blossom in her right hand, and a cornucopia blossoming out of another lotus flower she carries in her left hand. From the cornucopia rises a flask surrounded by pomegranates, a fruit with which Hariti is associated. According to popular legend, Hariti was a fierce goddess who consumed the flesh of children. The Buddha offered her pomegranates, which resembled human flesh, as a substitute, and in this manner she was converted from a wrathful demons to a loving protector of children.¹

The similarities between Hariti and the Greek goddess Tyche are striking. Both commonly carry cornucopia, and in examples of Tyche seen in sculpture in Charsada and Hadda, a similar diadem and tunic is depicted. For this reason, this particular iconographic Hariti type likely evolved from the Greek model of Tyche.² In terms of non-representational design, the border of pearls and fleur-de-lys patterns indicate an importation of Sassanian design motifs, and also help establish a fourth century date.

Notes:

(1) The Crossroads of Asia: Transformation of Image and Symbol in the Art of Ancient Afghanistan and Pakistan (Cambridge: The Ancient India and Iran Trust, 1992), p. 143.

(2) Ibid.