Origin: Afghanistan/Pakistan Date: 200 AD to 500 AD Dimensions: 18" (45.7cm) high x 8.625" (21.9cm) wide

Origin: Afghanistan/Pakistan Date: 200 AD to 500 AD Dimensions: 18" (45.7cm) high x 8.625" (21.9cm) wide   « Less

The ancient civilization of Gandhara thrived in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths  More »

The ancient civilization of Gandhara thrived in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West.The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C. somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and the Rapti River, his father was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern province of India, the district including the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married to Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and together they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he left his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify his body and make it an instrument of the mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and temptations. This sculptural fragment depicts the bust of the Buddha. An inner calm and complacency is visible in his sweet smile. His ear droops down, pulled from the weight of heavy earrings he once wore in his aristocratic youth. His hair is rendered in curly waves and features a prominent ushnisa, a symbol of his divine wisdom. The artists of Gandhara were the first to represent the Buddha in his human form, as opposed to a symbol. This gorgeous head is a reminder of an ancient civilization that, although vanished, helped spread the teachings of enlightenment throughout the heart of Asia. - (PF.6222)   « Less

The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading  More »

The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West.The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C. somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and the Rapti River, his father was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern province of India, the district including the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married to Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and together they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he left his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify his body and make it an instrument of the mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and temptations. This sculptural fragment depicts the bust of the Buddha. An inner calm and complacency is visible in his sweet smile. His elongated ear droops down, pulled from the weight of heavy earrings he once wore in his aristocratic youth. His sharply defined eyebrows arch gently curve downwards becoming his long, narrow nose. His hair is composed of rows of curly waves rendered in low relief and features a prominent ushnisa, or topknot, a symbol of his divine wisdom. The artists of Gandhara were the first to represent the Buddha in his human form, as opposed to a symbol such as his footprint. This gorgeous head is a reminder of an ancient civilization that, although vanished, helped spread the teachings of enlightenment throughout the heart of Asia. - (X.0024)   « Less

The ancient civilization of Gandhara thrived in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths  More »

The ancient civilization of Gandhara thrived in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West.In the Buddhist religion, Bodhisattvas are souls who have attained enlightenment and no longer need to reincarnate, but forsake nirvana and choose to come back in order to alleviate the suffering of others. This stunning Gandharan sculpture of a Bodhisattva, created by the first culture to represent the Buddha in his human form, reveals that these spiritual beings were celebrated even then, as Buddhism began to spread from India eastwards. This Bodhisattva is depicted wearing elaborated modeled robes with carefully carved folds. He sports and elegant coiffure and is adorned in fine jewelry as was appropriate for a worldly incarnation of the Buddha. Originally, this sculpture probably stood in a niche on the exterior of a stupa or shine where it would have guided the masses on the path towards enlightenment. - (X.0187)   « Less

Small elegant female figurine, sculpted in dark schist, portrayed seated in western style on a large throne, wearing a long muslin skirt, her hair kept in place with a diadem  More »

Small elegant female figurine, sculpted in dark schist, portrayed seated in western style on a large throne, wearing a long muslin skirt, her hair kept in place with a diadem leaving a row of curls surrounding the front, with one hand holding the vest and the other clasping what looks like a fly-whisk at the height of her shoulder. A long ornamental necklace pending from her neck. The woman here depicted must have belonged to the upper class, her status indicated both by her jewels and the lifted fly-whisk, an unequivocal indicator of royalty in ancient Indian art. She might have been one of the many donors or patrons that encouraged the erection of Buddhist monuments as part of their duty as pious devotees. While the choice of a muslin vest could have been in tune with contemporary Kushan and Indian fashions, the rendition of the pleats and the western posture of the wearer was undoubtedly drawn from the classical repertoire, once again bespeaking of the intense cultural interchange between the Kushan and the Roman Empire. The style of the diadem and the large necklace instead would reflect the long standing commercial bondage between India and Western Asia. The Gandhara region had long been a crossroads of cultural influences. Geographically it included roughly northwestern India between the Khyber Pass and the Indus River and the region of the Kabul Valley in Afghanistan. During the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka around 3rd century B.C., the region became the scene of intensive Buddhist missionary activity; and, in the 1st century AD, rulers of the Kushan empire such as Kanishka (AD 129-160) maintained contacts with Rome and employed foreign artists from the eastern centres of the Roman Empire to realise many sculptural works. The many archaeological discoveries of Alexandrian and Syrian workmanship at Taxila in the Punjab and Begram in the Kabul valley testify to the cultural and diplomatic connections with the Graeco-Roman West. The choice of a soft indigenous schist -the preferred medium of the early Gandharan artists- would indicate a date between the 2nd and the 5th centuries AD. During that period the Kushans were able to establish a strong empire and produced works of art reflecting both indigenous traditions and external influences. The detection of Greek and Roman elements in the Gandharan School testifies to the active exchange of ideals among all the civilizations of the Classical and Central Asian worlds. While the Gandhara School reached its climax toward the end of the second century with the production of the most significant large Buddha statues, the style continued to flourish into the third century until after the Sasanian invasion, and until the seventh century in Afghanistan. - (LO.510)   « Less

The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading  More »

The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West.In the Buddhist religion, Bodhisattvas are souls who have attained enlightenment and no longer need to reincarnate, but forsake nirvana and choose to come back in order to alleviate the suffering of others. This stunning Gandharan stucco sculpture of the head of a Bodhisattva reveals that these spiritual beings were celebrated even then, as Buddhism began to spread from India eastwards. This head was likely once attached to a body, the whole of which probably stood in a niche on the exterior of a stupa or shrine. These Bodhisattva sculptures are also thought to be depictions of Kushan kings and princes. Their luxurious adornments, see here in the beaded hair ornament that covers his top knot, suggests their wealth. The thin mustache is also typical of such representations. The artists of Gandhara were the first to represent the Buddha in his human form, as opposed to a symbol such as his footprint. This gorgeous head is a reminder of an ancient civilization that, although vanished, helped spread the teachings of enlightenment throughout the heart of Asia. - (LO.606)   « Less

Stucco sculpture of a Buddha standing in classical iconic posture, his head tilted forward,eyes half-closed, earlobes extended, holding the hem of his robe in his left hand,  More »

Stucco sculpture of a Buddha standing in classical iconic posture, his head tilted forward,eyes half-closed, earlobes extended, holding the hem of his robe in his left hand, staring below with a serene, emotionless gaze with a gentle smile and casting his eyes downward to his devotees, in a gesture of apparent compassion.His sharp wavy hair is drawn up over his usnisa into a chignon, which together with his long ear lobes are distinctive features (laksanas) of his buddhahood. The historical Buddha cut off his hair whilst renouncing the world and therefore would not have sported the ornately styled hair depicted here, but a traditional monk's tonsure. The influence on the treatment of the hairstyle, is therefore more Hellenistic than Indic, evident in the artfully arranged chignon, a recurrent feature in early Greek sculptures, also known as krobilos. The Gandhara region had long been a crossroads of cultural influences. Geographically it included roughly northwestern India between the Khyber Pass and the Indus River and the region of the Kabul Valley in Afghanistan. During the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka around 3rd century B.C., the region became the scene of intensive Buddhist missionary activity; and, in the 1st century AD, rulers of the Kushan empire such as Kanishka (AD 129-160) maintained contacts with Rome and employed foreign artists from the eastern centres of the Roman Empire to realise many sculptural works. The many archaeological discoveries of Alexandrian and Syrian workmanship at Taxila in the Punjab and Begram in the Kabul valley testify to the cultural and diplomatic connections with the Graeco-Roman West. Many artifacts, in particular sculptures, have survived and are now dispersed in major museums throughout the world. The treatment of the robe of our stucco Buddha,imitating a classical himation, is intensely naturalistic, as the folds are shallowed to accommodate his expanded chest, demonstrating the mastership of the Gandharan sculptors. In between the pleats of his garment are traces of the original red pigment that would have once covered the whole surface, reminiscent of the elaborate chromatic palette these stucco statues would have originally been painted with. Both the sharp treatment of the folds, the Buddha's exceptional strength of expression and his hair fashioned into copious half-moon shaped waves would indicate an early date around the 2nd century AD. - (LO.1057)   « Less

Stucco sculpture of a man's head captured in a gentle open smile, with a rather imposing protruding nose, the eyes almond-modelled, his wavy long hair tied up with a band in  More »

Stucco sculpture of a man's head captured in a gentle open smile, with a rather imposing protruding nose, the eyes almond-modelled, his wavy long hair tied up with a band in the front. Though part of his head is missing, his expression is captured fully; its refined style greatly demonstrating the incredible visual and sculptural skills of the ancient Gandharan artists.The Gandhara region had long been a crossroads of cultural influences. Geographically it included roughly northwestern India between the Khyber Pass and the Indus River and the region of the Kabul Valley in Afghanistan. During the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka around 3rd century B.C., the region became the scene of intensive Buddhist missionary activity; and, in the 1st century AD, rulers of the Kushan empire such as Kanishka (AD 129-160) maintained contacts with Rome and employed foreign artists from the eastern centres of the Roman Empire to realise many sculptural works. The many archaeological discoveries of Alexandrian and Syrian workmanship at Taxila in the Punjab and Begram in the Kabul valley testify to the cultural and diplomatic connections with the Graeco-Roman West. Many artifacts, in particular sculptures, have survived and are now dispersed in major museums throughout the world.Originally this head -possibly portraying either a Buddhist donor or a devotee- would have been covered with brilliant pigments and placed in a larger narrative scene. His original role is now lost forever, yet his exuberant smile and inner spirit transcended time and are still perceivable nowadays. - (LO.1058)   « Less

Moulded Turquoise Lion Bowl - ADC.56, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 12 th Century AD to 13 th Century AD, Dimensions: 3.35" (8.5cm) high x 6.10 " (15.5cm) wide, Collection:  More »

Moulded Turquoise Lion Bowl - ADC.56, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 12 th Century AD to 13 th Century AD, Dimensions: 3.35" (8.5cm) high x 6.10 " (15.5cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Bamiyan, Medium: Fritware.   « Less

Brass Qu'ran Stand - AD.325, Origin: Cairo, Circa: 19 th Century AD, Dimensions: 33.6" (85.3cm) high x 19.6" (49.8cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Mamluk Revival,  More »

Brass Qu'ran Stand - AD.325, Origin: Cairo, Circa: 19 th Century AD, Dimensions: 33.6" (85.3cm) high x 19.6" (49.8cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Mamluk Revival, Medium: Brass.   « Less