Image of a ‘bad’ nun: Indian ivories in ancient Turkmenistan

Lakshminarayanan, Ashwini ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4077-5110 2025. Image of a ‘bad’ nun: Indian ivories in ancient Turkmenistan. Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 31 (1) , pp. 132-158. 10.1163/15700577-20252933

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Abstract

This paper focuses on two ivory artefacts, a plaque and a figurine, found in Mele Hairam, Turkmenistan. Dated roughly between the first and second century AD, the source of the two ivories is the Indian subcontinent where similar ivories have been found. Using a comparative perspective, this paper demonstrates that the scene on the ivory plaque can be closely associated with Indian stone reliefs dating to the early centuries AD and belonging to the network of long-distance trade routes. This analysis not only affirms the close relationship between the Mele Hairam ivories and the Indian artistic koine, but also proposes a preliminary identification of the scene on the ivory plaque.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BQ Buddhism D History General and Old World > DS Asia
Publisher:	Brill Academic Publishers
ISSN:	0929-077X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 August 2025
Date of Acceptance:	25 September 2023
Last Modified:	06 Aug 2025 10:20
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180261

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