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102

Gandhara Head of a Bodhisattva, 2nd/3rd C.

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles Start Price:3,400.00 EUR Estimated At:5,600.00 - 7,000.00 EUR
Gandhara Head of a Bodhisattva, 2nd/3rd C.
Grey schist
Kingdom of Gandhara, ancient region around present-day Peshawar, 2nd/3rd century
Finely carved elegant features
Elaborate hair
Topknot secured by a triple string of pearls
Height: 34 cm
Visually good condition
Provenance: Private collection, Germany
Finely carved work with elaborate hair and stylish mustache

This grey schist sculpture originates from the kingdom of Gandhara and dates to the 2nd/3rd century. This ancient region was located in the Peshawar valley, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rendered is a head of Bodhisattva with finely and elegant features and a Hellenistic hairstyle, which is commonly associated with Maitreya. The eyes are slightly closed, the eyebrows are finely worked and the narrow nose draws attention to the slightly smiling mouth, which is crowned by a mustache. The fine hair is tied in a topknot and secured by a triple string of pearls.



The Gandhara head is in good condition, with signs of wear consistent with age. Rear drill holes for mounting, some loss of material and restored breakpoints can be seen. The height measures 34 cm.



Kingdom of Gandhara

The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the 6th Century BC to the 11th Century AD. In the sixth to fourth centuries BC Gandhara was dominated under the Achaemenid Dynasty of Iran. The successors of Alexander the Great maintained themselves in Bactria and Gandhara from 322 BC to about 50 BC. Rejoined to India under the Maurya Dynasty, the Gandhara province became the object of intense missionary activity by the Buddhist emperor Asoka (reigned c. 273-232 BC). In the first century AD the Kushans, a tribe of Scythian stock from north China made themselves masters of Gandhara. Their rule, however, was interrupted by the invasion of the Persian King Shapur I in AD 242, and the Buddhist civilization of Gandhara was finally completely destroyed in the sixth century. After being conquered by Mahmood of Ghazni in 1021 AD, the name Gandhara disappeared.



Gandhara is noted for the distinctive Gandhara style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BC – AD 75). Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century. Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expressiveness to be given to the sculpture.
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