Gandhara Stucco Head of a Buddha - LO.605

B A R A K AT G A L L E RY Mirror of all Ages and Cultures

Gandhara Stucco Head of a Buddha LO.605 Origin: Gandhara Circa: 300 AD to 500 AD Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high Price on request

58 Brook Street, W1K 5DT, London | +44 207 493 7778 | info@barakatgallery.eu 941 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles | 58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

B A R A K AT G A L L E RY Mirror of all Ages and Cultures

Curatorial comment: This sculptural fragment depicts the head of the Buddha. An inner calm and complacency is visible in his sweet smile. The sharply defined eyebrows arch gently downwards into his long, narrow nose. Such features are characteristic of the Gandhara style. His hair is composed of rows of miniature spirals rendered in low relief. His head is crowned by a prominent ushnisa, or topknot, that is a symbol of his divine wisdom. The ushnisa is covered with the same spiral motif that conveys the texture of his curly hair. The artists of Gandhara were the first to represent the Buddha in his human form, as opposed to a symbol such as his footprint. This gorgeous head is a reminder of an ancient civilization that, although vanished, helped spread the teachings of enlightenment throughout the heart of Asia.

The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China.

This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent.

Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West.

58 Brook Street, W1K 5DT, London | +44 207 493 7778 | info@barakatgallery.eu 941 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles | 58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

B A R A K AT G A L L E RY Mirror of all Ages and Cultures

Condition Report: The artefact (Gandhara Stucco Head of a Buddha - LO.605) is in extra fine state. Clean and patinated breaks on the neck and the back, compatible with the archaeological history of the artefact. Very minor erosion on some curls. Single neat chip on the left ear. Minor chip (patinated) on the right cheek.

58 Brook Street, W1K 5DT, London | +44 207 493 7778 | info@barakatgallery.eu 941 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles | 58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

B A R A K AT G A L L E RY Mirror of all Ages and Cultures

58 Brook Street, W1K 5DT, London | +44 207 493 7778 | info@barakatgallery.eu 941 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles | 58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul