Wall hanging, pidan of silk ikat, showing episodes from the life of Prince Siddartha, the future Buddha. On the left is a scene showing his birth in the palace; to the right of this he can be seen leaving his palace riding on a white horse with the Gods of the East lifting his horse's hooves, accompanied by Brahma and sheltered under a parasol by Indra. To the right of this he is seen cutting off his hair prior to becoming an ascetic. To the right he neditates under the Bodhi tree, above the goddess Dorani who is wringing out her hair to wash away the armies of Mara. After achieving enlightenment through meditation, the Buddha sets out to preach, accompanied by his two main disciples, Sariputta and Mogallana. Here he is preaching to his father, the king, and his father's new wife.
