Gandhara’s geographical position, situated between the Persian world to the west and the Indian to the east, ensured that it was open to a wide variety of artistic  More »

Gandhara’s geographical position, situated between the Persian world to the west and the Indian to the east, ensured that it was open to a wide variety of artistic influences. Often described as a ‘cultural melting pot,’ its strategic importance left it vulnerable to attack. Briefly in the hands of Alexander the Great between 327 -326 B.C., Greek artistic conventions long played an important role in local production. However whilst Gandhara clearly came under the influence of an extraordinary wide range of outside influences, it was also an exporter of ideas. This is most apparent in relation to the spread of Buddhism from India into other parts of Asia. Gandharan monks and scribes were particularly active in areas of China. According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Between c.100-400 A.D. sculptors working in schist, terracotta and stucco produced an astonishing number and variety of Buddhist images.This stucco head is remarkable for the excellent condition of the original polychromy. Bodhisattvas were enlightened beings who delayed their own entry to Nirvana to help others to end the cycle of birth and rebirth. Although there is some damage to the left ear, the elongated earlobe is clearly visible on the figure’s right. Bodhisattvas were typically richly adorned in contrast to the modest apparel of the historical buddha who renounced his material wealth. This example is no exception; the surviving earring has been carefully moulded with an oval and stylised flower design. The most attractive feature however is the twisted cord which has been used to fix the curly hair in a top-knot. Three large red beads and small flowers make a pleasing contrast with the blue pigment used for the curls. The downward gaze, large almond shaped eyes and small mouth all contribute to the beauty of this piece. - (AM.0215)   « Less

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The  More »

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Between c.100-400 A.D. sculptors working in schist, terracotta and stucco produced an astonishing number and variety of Buddhist images. Gandhara was situated at the crossroads between east and west and thus came under a wide variety of artistic influences including Persian, Greek and Indian. It also became an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia as it was claimed that events from the Buddha’s former lives had occurred in the area.This stucco head displays the Gandharan tendency to combine realism around the nose, mouth and cheek areas with deeply cut stylised eyes. Small traces of the original polychromy survive, for example remains of a red pigment in the earlobes and around the hair-line. Traces of black are also apparent in the curls of the hair. The hair is arranged in a top-knot. This was the Gandharan version of the ushnisha, a mound on the head which symbolised the Buddha’s spiritual wisdom. Traces of an urna, or third eye, are also just visible on the forehead, outlined in red. The bottom of both earlobes has been lost but it is still possible to make out their elongated form. This was a reference to the Buddha’s former wealth, symbolised by the effect of wearing heavy earrings. Despite small areas of loss, the serenity of the expression, partly created through the downcast eyes, has been preserved. - (AM.0216)   « Less

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The  More »

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Gandhara was situated at the crossroads between east and west and thus came under a wide variety of artistic influences including Persian, Greek and Indian. It also became an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia as it was claimed that events from the Buddha’s former lives had occurred in the area.This small buddha head dates to the most prolific and vibrant era of Gandharan Buddhist art. Stucco and terracotta were favoured materials as they were easy to manipulate and suited to the application of polychromy. Although the majority of surviving works have lost their original colours, this was an essential part of their original conception. Traces of red pigment survive on the Buddha’s lips, as well as traces of black in the eyes. The hair has been modelled using small irregular indentations. The top-knot, or ushnisha, is a symbol of the Buddha’s spiritual wisdom. The elongated earlobes refer to the Buddha’s former material wealth which he renounced in order to achieve spiritual fulfilment. - (AM.0217)   « Less

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The  More »

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Between c.100-600 A.D. sculptors working in schist, terracotta and stucco produced an astonishing number and variety of Buddhist images. Gandhara was situated at the crossroads between east and west and thus came under a wide variety of artistic influences, including Persian, Greek and Indian. It also became an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia as it was claimed that events from the Buddha’s former lives had occurred in the area.This elegant Buddha head is modelled from terracotta. The hair is arranged in a top-knot, the Gandharan version of the ushnisha, a symbol of spiritual wisdom. The small protrusion on the forehead is an urna, or third eye, a mark of religious enlightenment. The elongated earlobes, damaged slightly on the right, are a reference to the former wealth of the historical Buddha. The elongation was caused by wearing heavy and ornate earrings. The mouth and aqualine nose reveal a debt to Greek models but the stylised almond shaped eyes are typical of images of the Buddha from across Asia. This merging of such diverse styles and traditions is what makes Gandharan art so unique and fascinating. - (AM.0218)   « 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 links between the different worlds of the East and West.This dignified Buddha head was created from stucco. This material is easily manipulated and can produce wonderfully smooth surfaces, as is apparent on the face, especially the eyelids. The curled hair has been arranged in a top-knot, the Gandharan version of the ushnisha, or mound which symbolises the Buddha’s wisdom. Despite slight damage to the earlobes and the nose this head is well-preserved. The large almond shaped eyes and the downward gaze indicate a state of meditation, far removed from the cares of an earthly existence. According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. In subsequent centuries Gandharan monks were to play an important role in the spread of Buddhism into other parts of Asia, especially China. Images such as this head must have aided this process since they would have been encountered by the many traders, soldiers and travellers passing through the region. - (AM.0219)   « 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.Despite surviving in fragmentary form, this stucco head still impresses us with its calm and dignified expression. The mouth and nose have been carved naturalistically but the eyes are highly stylised. This is typical of Gandharan images of the Buddha which this head most likely represents. - (AM.0220)   « Less

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The  More »

According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Between c.100-400 A.D. sculptors working in schist, terracotta and stucco produced an astonishing number and variety of Buddhist images. Gandhara was situated at the crossroads between east and west and thus came under a wide variety of artistic influences, including Persian, Greek and Indian. It also became an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia as it was claimed that events from the Buddha’s former lives had occurred in the area.The modelling of this Buddha head is particularly fine. The topknot, the Gandharan version of the ushnisha, symbolising the Buddha’s spiritual wisdom and enlightenment, is set just off centre to the viewer’s left. The curls of the hair are implied through wide, tapering indentations in the stucco. The elongated earlobes, a reference to the historical Buddha's former wealth, are completely intact. It is likely that the head was originally painted in colour as this was customary for religious sculpture. Today the surface is a pale cream/pink which enables the viewer to admire the delicacy of the carving. - (AM.0221)   « 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 links between the different worlds of the East and West.This small but refined carving depicts the head of the Buddha. The illusion of hair is created by evenly spaced ‘s’ shaped indentations in the stucco. The top-knot was regarded as a symbol of the Buddha’s wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. Small traces of the original polychromy survive. Red pigment is visible on the lips and inside the earlobes and the eyelids retain small amounts of black. The head is in excellent condition and will be highly prized by connoisseurs of Buddhist art. - (AM.0222)   « Less

This magnificent bodhisattva comes from the ancient civilisation of Gandhara, located in the region encompassing modern north-eastern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan.  More »

This magnificent bodhisattva comes from the ancient civilisation of Gandhara, located in the region encompassing modern north-eastern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan. Buddhism flourished here from the 3rd century B.C. and the region played an important role in transmitting the faith from India to other parts of Asia, especially China. Gandhara was particularly vulnerable to invasion because of its enviable position on the Silk Route. As a consequence artistic production betrays many outside influences, especially Hellenistic and Indian.The popularity of bodhisattvas increased considerable in the early centuries of the first millennium. Originally portrayed solely as attendants of the Buddha, in time they appeared alone as figures of veneration in their own right. Bodhisattvas were believed to have accumulated enough merit to enter Nirvana. However, owing to their compassion, they chose to remain in the earthly realm to help others end the cycle of birth and rebirth. In contrast to images of the modestly attired Buddha, Bodhisattvas are usually recognisable through the wealth and elaborateness of their clothing and jewellery. This sculpture is no exception. Wearing an Indian style dhoti, the naked torso is adorned with elaborate Scythian style jewellery including a wide torque around the neck, a beaded necklace and a string with amulets draped diagonally across the body. Twisted cords adorn the hair which is plaited at either side. Carved in very high relief, rather than in the round, this figure may one have adorned a stupa or monastic enclosure. It is carved from schist, one of the materials most frequently deployed by Gandharan artists. The moustache is one of the most easily recognisable features of Gandharan Buddhist imagery and was largely confined to this locality. Despite damage to the arms, the figure is in remarkable condition and the carving, especially the drapery folds is of exceptional quality. - (AM.0224)   « Less

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 100 AD to 400 AD Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Style: Gandharan Medium: Stucco

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 100 AD to 400 AD Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Style: Gandharan Medium: Stucco   « Less