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Lot Essay
The present schist sculpture of a bodhisattva is of exceptional size and sculpting quality. It is likely he would have held a water vessel in the left hand, identifying him as the bodhisattva Maitreya. This identification is reinforced by the hairstyle, which is generally reserved for this bodhisattva (refer to lot 201). Maitreya is considered the Buddha of the future - when the dharma is forgotten on Earth, he will descend from the Tushita Heaven to be born in our realm as the next Buddha. His iconic water vessel, the kumbha, is found in many different contexts within Indian sculpture, but is almost always a symbol of fertility and life. It is an apt visual icon, therefore, for Maitreya's role as a progenitor of future peace and order.
When he is born on Earth, Maitreya will be of Brahmin stock. He is dressed, therefore, in the rich garb similar to that of the historical Gautama Buddha, prior to his renunciation of worldly goods. His vestments include a foliate collar, a rope-work necklace with a makara-head pendant, and a cord with cylindrical amulet boxes, of a type still in use in South Asia. He is robed in the ankle-length dhoti, secured around the waist with a knotted rope with pendant ties, and the heavier sanghati, open at the front to expose his muscular chest. Both display the naturalistic attention to drapery characteristic of the Gandharan period that is held over from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region. The flared swath of drapery to the right of Maitreya's right leg conveys a sense of movement, as if he has just taken a step forward; this idea is further enhanced by the tip of his foot extending off the edge of the base.
When he is born on Earth, Maitreya will be of Brahmin stock. He is dressed, therefore, in the rich garb similar to that of the historical Gautama Buddha, prior to his renunciation of worldly goods. His vestments include a foliate collar, a rope-work necklace with a makara-head pendant, and a cord with cylindrical amulet boxes, of a type still in use in South Asia. He is robed in the ankle-length dhoti, secured around the waist with a knotted rope with pendant ties, and the heavier sanghati, open at the front to expose his muscular chest. Both display the naturalistic attention to drapery characteristic of the Gandharan period that is held over from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region. The flared swath of drapery to the right of Maitreya's right leg conveys a sense of movement, as if he has just taken a step forward; this idea is further enhanced by the tip of his foot extending off the edge of the base.