Buddha's Birth, from a set of the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha

This is the first composition from a set of nine depicting key scenes from the life story of Buddha Shakyamuni known as the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha. This image depicts the Buddha’s birth, the second and third deeds “Descent from Tushita Heaven” and “Entering the Mother’s Womb/Birth”. Above in Tushita heaven (top left), after choosing a suitable place and time to be born, the Bodhisattva is seen passing a crown to the Bodhisattva Maitreya who will become the Future Buddha. He then descends to earth in the form of a white elephant (at top right), which his mother Maya sees in a dream as she sleeps in her palace (bottom right). The central theme which dominates the composition is the birth of prince Siddhartha: in a grove in Lumbini, queen Maya reaches up with her right hand for support from a Sala tree as the Bodhisattva miraculously appears from her side (here resembling a seated Buddha sculpture) and received by the gods Indra and Brahma. Below left, Siddhartha is bathed by naga (snake spirits) and takes seven steps in each of the four cardinal directions, a lotus flower blooming under each footprint. Raising his hand, he pronounced his coming into the world and this his last birth.

This woodblock print was printed at the Derge Printing House in the Kham region of Southeastern Tibet (modern day Ganzi, Sichuan Province, PRC). Founded in 1729, it is one of the largest and most important producers of traditional Tibetan woodblock prints. This set of the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha was based on compositions attributed to the famous late 19th century master painter Purbu Tsering of Chamdo.