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Lot Essay
The ancient region of Gandhara, straddling the Khyber Pass in what now spans eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, was for many centuries an important center of trade and commerce. Its position at the crossroads of Central Asia meant that it was exposed to goods and ideas from India, China and the Mediterranean world.
In the centuries before the Common Era (CE), the region came under Hellenistic control after Alexander the Great annexed Gandhara to his expansive empire; following his death, the region was controlled by a succession of kings of mixed Greek and Central Asian descent. Buddhism was already well established during this time, with the Indo-Greek King Menander and the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka both noted proponents of the faith.
It was not until the reign of the Kushan dynasty in the first centuries CE that profound changes in the religious art of the region were realized. The Kushan were nomadic horsemen from the steppes of Central Asia, pushed out of their homeland in Western China circa 160 BCE. After more than a century of migration, the Kushan seized power in the regions of Gandhara and Northern India. Astute rulers, the Kushan allowed religious freedom for their subjects and adopted local Hellenistic and Indian traditions, including the Buddhist faith. Prior to their rule, the presence of Buddha was depicted in art through aniconic symbols such as the dharmachakra (wheel of law) or buddhapada (footprints of the Buddha); upon their ascension to power, however, the first images of Buddha in anthropomorphic form began to appear.
In the ancient region of Gandhara, the sculptural tradition was strongly influenced by the Hellenistic style left in the wake of Alexander. Local artisans favored the principles of figural naturalism, in particular the athletic and heroic idealized body. The depiction of the Indian dhoti and sanghati, like that of the Greek chiton and himaton, presented an opportunity to reproduce voluminous folds of drapery with wondrous aplomb, as is evident in the present work. The monastic raiment is draped across both shoulders with considerable backthrow, hanging naturalistically in u-shaped folds that reveal the contours of the powerful body. The heavy sanghati delicately models the muscular shoulders, torso, soft belly and rounded thigh; the elegant neck is slightly elongated and the left knee bends in preparation to step forward. This subtle gesture, along with the undulating folds of the robe, allows one to imagine the fabric fluttering as the Buddha moves. Heavy eyelids frame the almond-shaped eyes, the forehead remains perfectly unlined, and there is no tension in the rosebud mouth. The remarkably intact nimbus provides a harmonious backdrop for the features of the face. While activated with energy, movement and life, the Buddha is simultaneously in a state of otherworldly tranquility.
Compare the present work with a contemporaneous standing Buddha in the Peshawar Museum, illustrated by H. Ingholt in Gandharan Art in Pakistan, New York, 1957, p. 111, fig. 207, in which the body is modeled with thick contours as seen in the deep folds of the robe, and stocky form beneath. In the present work, the drapery is softer, allowing the body’s slender shape and elegant posture to emerge, enhancing the meditative mood.
In the centuries before the Common Era (CE), the region came under Hellenistic control after Alexander the Great annexed Gandhara to his expansive empire; following his death, the region was controlled by a succession of kings of mixed Greek and Central Asian descent. Buddhism was already well established during this time, with the Indo-Greek King Menander and the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka both noted proponents of the faith.
It was not until the reign of the Kushan dynasty in the first centuries CE that profound changes in the religious art of the region were realized. The Kushan were nomadic horsemen from the steppes of Central Asia, pushed out of their homeland in Western China circa 160 BCE. After more than a century of migration, the Kushan seized power in the regions of Gandhara and Northern India. Astute rulers, the Kushan allowed religious freedom for their subjects and adopted local Hellenistic and Indian traditions, including the Buddhist faith. Prior to their rule, the presence of Buddha was depicted in art through aniconic symbols such as the dharmachakra (wheel of law) or buddhapada (footprints of the Buddha); upon their ascension to power, however, the first images of Buddha in anthropomorphic form began to appear.
In the ancient region of Gandhara, the sculptural tradition was strongly influenced by the Hellenistic style left in the wake of Alexander. Local artisans favored the principles of figural naturalism, in particular the athletic and heroic idealized body. The depiction of the Indian dhoti and sanghati, like that of the Greek chiton and himaton, presented an opportunity to reproduce voluminous folds of drapery with wondrous aplomb, as is evident in the present work. The monastic raiment is draped across both shoulders with considerable backthrow, hanging naturalistically in u-shaped folds that reveal the contours of the powerful body. The heavy sanghati delicately models the muscular shoulders, torso, soft belly and rounded thigh; the elegant neck is slightly elongated and the left knee bends in preparation to step forward. This subtle gesture, along with the undulating folds of the robe, allows one to imagine the fabric fluttering as the Buddha moves. Heavy eyelids frame the almond-shaped eyes, the forehead remains perfectly unlined, and there is no tension in the rosebud mouth. The remarkably intact nimbus provides a harmonious backdrop for the features of the face. While activated with energy, movement and life, the Buddha is simultaneously in a state of otherworldly tranquility.
Compare the present work with a contemporaneous standing Buddha in the Peshawar Museum, illustrated by H. Ingholt in Gandharan Art in Pakistan, New York, 1957, p. 111, fig. 207, in which the body is modeled with thick contours as seen in the deep folds of the robe, and stocky form beneath. In the present work, the drapery is softer, allowing the body’s slender shape and elegant posture to emerge, enhancing the meditative mood.