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Gandhara Schist Relief of Hariti and Panchika, 2nd/3rd C.

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,400.00 EUR Estimated At:4,000.00 - 5,000.00 EUR
Gandhara Schist Relief of Hariti and Panchika, 2nd/3rd C.
Gray schist
Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Relief with a rare illustration of the two gods Hariti and Panchika
Both sitting in the pose of ‘royal ease’ and behind captured by a nimbus
Hariti with a small child in her arms, Panchika with mustache and shirtless
Literature: Wladimir Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandharan Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, cat. no. 96-98
Dimensions: 24 x 20.5 cm
Condition consistent with age
Provenance: Collection of Jack Zuberbühler, Switzerland
Object is regular taxed. Differential taxation is not possible

The deities Panchika and Hariti, as dispensers of riches and fertility, are not part of the Buddhist pantheon. Their depiction in Hellenistic style, as in the present example, is therefore rarely found in Gandharan art. (See Wladimir Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandharan Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, cat. no. 96-98.) In the known representations Panchika is usually rendered, like here, as a warrior holding a spear. His consort Hariti is regarded as a protector of children and is thus often depicted with an infant by her side.



Kingdom of Gandhara

The kingdom of Gandhara lasted for around 15 centuries, from 530 BC, as a province of the Persian Empire to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. The ancient kingdom of Gandhara stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was an important commercial center of the Middle East, many centuries before the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. But Gandhara was also a jewel of Buddhist civilization and influential in the development of early Mahayana Buddhism.

Gandhara is noted for the distinctive Gandhara style in Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian and Indian artistic influence. Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. In the first century AD, Gandhara was the birthplace of some of the earliest Buddhist images – until then only symbolic representations had been prevailing. This new imagery became a model for all later depictions of Buddha.



Condition: The relief in fair condition consistent with age. It measures 24 x 20.5 cm (height x width).

Provenance: Collection of Jack Zuberbühler, Switzerland
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