Why Label Them?

This article investigates the little understood practice of inscribing early Hindu temple reliefs with labels. A close reading is conducted of the iconography and formal qualities of a group of seventh-century terracotta panels from Palāsbāḍī (Bogura District, Bangladesh) depicting lively scenes from the epic Rāmāyaṇa, thus allowing us to identify the various purposes and uses of the labels attached to the imagery. The article concludes that the interplay of word and image acts to enhance both media.