Gandharan Stucco Head of a Bodhisattva, Probably Hadda, 4th - 5th Century

A striking Gandharan molded stucco head of a male Bodhisattva, tentatively identified as Manjushri, ancient region of Gandhara, probably Hadda or surrounding area, 3rd-5th century. The Bodhisattva is sculpted of stucco in an idealized manner as a youthful male, with soft and kind features, a benign expression on his face. He wears an elaborate pleated turban wrapped around his head, with two sweeping lobes at the front. His turban secured on one side by a small image of a roaring lion. The lion may be read as a reference to Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, who is often depicted as riding or subduing a roaring lion, a metaphor for taming the wild thoughts of the mind. Manjushri gazes outwards in a beatific manner from almond shaped eyes, a gentle smile on his lips. The eyes at different levels when looking at the sculpture head on, indicating the original placement of the head was meant to be viewed at an angle. Remnants of pigments to the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Mounted on a custom black metal stand. Hadda was an important center of Buddhist learning in the early history of Greco Buddhist Gandhara, and at one time may have housed a bone relic of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. The sculpture and architecture of Hadda followed Hellenistic artistic conventions faithfully, leading some scholars to believe the distinct Greco Buddhist style of Gandhara was first developed in Hadda before spreading to the rest of the region. The kingdom of Gandhara was situated at a crossroads of trade and cultures. Being one of the last remnants of Alexander the Great's Empire, the inhabitants of the Greco-Bactrian Buddhist kingdom preserved Greek culture and heritage for centuries after the decline of the Greek Empire...

A sublime Greco-Buddhist stucco head of the Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, circa 3rd-5th century. A fragment of a larger statue, the Buddha's face...

A very rare and decidedly charming half-scale terracotta sculpture of the bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, ancient region of Gandha...

An impressive and well carved Gandharan figure of the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, carved black schist, ancient Kingdom of Gand...

PRESENTING a STUNNING piece of Indian Antiquity from circa the 4th-5th Century, namely, A Stucco Torso of the Buddha, Gandhara. Ancient Gandhara is located in the rugged foothills of the Himalayas in what is today northwest Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, was for centuries a thriving center of trade along the Silk Road linking China, South Asia, and the Mediterranean. The piece was purchased by a Private Collector at Sotheby’s, or more probably, Christies of New York Auction pre-2000. The paper label on the wooden base is “7281/465” for Sale Number 7281, Lot No. 465. Sotheby’s and Christies operate a twice yearly auction of Southeast Asian Art & Antiquities in New York in the months of March and September. The Sale Number is more like a ‘Christies;’ Sale Number but we cannot locate any records for this sale online as it was pre-2004. The sculpture is a Gandharan stucco headless bust...

A Fine Gandharan Head of a Buddha Stucco with ‘earth pigment’ Some old ‘restoration’ to the nose Afghanistan 3rd Century AD Size: 26cm high, 14.5cm...

A fine ancient stucco bust on a plinth. In the form of the mustachioed man with a (partial) laurel on his head. Mounted on a brown wooden plinth. Retaining an old Stair Galleries ...

The face with downcast eyes and a smile, the hair swept up behind the pendulous ears into a high topknot. Faint traces of pigmentation hinting at the sculpture's original polychromy. The black stand was made in Hong Kong at the time of the acquisition. Date : Northern Wei-Tang Dynasty(5-8th century) Provenance : Acquired in late 1990s from Hongkong Reference : 1) Sotheby's London 13 May 2015 - The Soul Of Japanese Aesthetics – The Tsuneichi Inoue Collection - Lot 18 (Price realised : 17,500 GBP / Type : Closely related) 2) Sotheby's New York 26 September 2023 - CHINA / 5000 YEARS - Lot 1156 (Price realised : 8,890 USD / Type : Closely related) * Stone Head of Bodhisattva...