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Figure of an atlant India, Gandhara, Kushan period 3rd to 4th century Schist 6¾ × 5½ × 3½ in. ( 17.2 × 14.0 × 8.9 cm) Gift of Alta Brenner in memory of her daughter Andrea Bernice Brenner-McMullen 1992.40
This figure is an architectural support in the form of a winged strong man called an “atlant.” The term atlant refers to any carved stone architectural support in the form of a muscular, robust male figure. The atlant (plural: atlantes) is named after the Greek god Atlas, who holds the sky up with his arms, head, and shoulders. The atlant motif originated in ancient India, Greece, and the Near East. In the art and architecture of Gandhara, atlantes are male figures of great strength whose arms are occasionally supplemented with wings. R.C.
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