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lot 6

lot 6

Gandharan Sculpture

Preaching Buddha

schist
height - 9.5 in. (24 cm.)
width - 15.25 in. (39 cm.)
depth - 2.75 in. (7 cm.)
2nd/3rd century
North Pakistan

Winning Bid: $ 7,500

Estimate: US$ 8,000 - 12,000

Lot Closed

Lot Details

PROVENANCE
Sotheby's
Acquired from the above by a private Boston based collector, in the 1990's

The frieze shows a devotional scene with the Buddha preaching among a group of monks, bodhisattvas and donors. The scene is inserted in a classical architecture, defined on both sides by two columns made of elegant geometrical motives.

At the center stands the Buddha; his right hand (missing) is in abhaya mudra (gesture of protection) and the left one is securing his monastic robe. At both sides, and above and below the Buddha, stand monks, bodhisattvas and donors, all them in gestures of devotion and worship.

This frieze was decorating the walls of a stupa, the most famous Buddhist monument, and shows a fine hellenistic influence. The figures are well proportioned, their attitude shows a classical plasticity. The overlapping and intersecting of the garment pleats reinforce the classical style of the frieze and an impression of vitality, endowing it with an aristocratic elegance.

The frieze has been made by the typical stone of Gandhara sculptures and monuments, a schist of blue-grey colour, that in this case is in a good condition.

Gandharan Sculpture

Gandhara art is unique fusion of styles that are typically seen in Buddhist sculpture of ancient times, between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE originating from the Gandhara region of the Indian subcontinent. The style has Greco-Roman influences, and flourished largely during the Kushan dynasty, this school of art evolved a distinct type of Buddha statues, and was also rich in relief sculptures depicting Buddhist legends.