INDIA, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 2ND CENTURY

This capital features four fierce snarling winged lions. They are sculpted from mottled red sandstone, a local material typical to Mathura sculpture during the Kushan Dynasty. The softness of the material lends itself to the Mathura style’s characteristic curvilinear forms and stylized expressions. This style contrasts with contemporary Gandharan art, another famed center of artistic production in the Kushan period. Gandharan artists used grey schist, a much harder material, which is conducive to stark, more realistic detailing. The present lot exemplifies the softer, more exaggerated Mathura style, with its fluid, curving forms evident in the expressive faces and long, flowing manes.
Lions were a popular subject for capitals in this period because they were associated with heroism and royal authority. Additionally, lions were often used to represent the Buddha, as they are a symbol of the Sakya clan, which the Buddha descended from. The addition of wings, which is less common, is likely a result of Western Asian influence. While Gandhara is well-known for its incorporation of multiple stylistic influences (such as Greek and Parthian), Mathura was also a trade center and site of intercultural encounters. This capital exemplifies both the heavy Buddhist influence and the metropolitanism of the wealthy Kushan Dynasty.