I spent a few hours in Calcutta in 2015, while in transit from Delhi to Hyderabad. In the Indian Museum, among many wonderful and fascinating objects, this medallion design captured my attention. A troop of monkeys, assigned to remove a fusty booger (?) from the nose of a patient bodhisattva, using an elephant! As I had no time to make further enquiries while there, perhaps anyone here may know something about these carvings, and perhaps has something to say about this particular design. I gather that it is an illustration of a jataka story. Does anyone know which story?
Other than that, it’s a jolly scene, and a reflection of the sense of humour that was prevalent in the Bharhut Buddhist establishment of the Shunga period (mid-2nd century BCE).
Okay, I will go with that. I found a reference to the scene in V. D. Mahajan’s book, Ancient India that interprets it like that. However… I am convinced that there is some “monkey business” involved in the tale. Look closely at the monkey in charge of the forceps. He is definitly lifting a nose flap there and not a lip.
Although, thát was a special monkey! Oh, have a care. There is the monk Tripitaka in the Journey to the West. He trusted a monkey, but not without trepidation.
Probably removing a nose hair. I have the same problem.