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This beautiful sculpture was made in the ancient
kingdom of Majajanapada, better known as
Gandhara. Situated on the border between what
is now Pakistan and Afghanistan, the kingdom
contained several notable cities that flourished
between the 6th century BC and the 11th century
AD. It saw enormous changes with the ebb and
flow of contemporary superpowers. It also
became a centre of learning (notably with the
invention of the Kharosti alphabet) and of
religious pilgrimage, as this is where the holy
scriptures of Buddha were kept. Prior to this in
the 6th century BC Gandhara was absorbed into
the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire. The collapse of
this dynasty led to a series of power
struggles that ended with the crushing of native
armies by Alexander the Great in 327 BC. This
was followed by the attack by Demetrius of
Bactria, and while the area was Graeco-Bactrian
for some time, it eventually gained independence
under King Menander in the mid 2nd century BC.
The final effects of Greek colonialism were
eroded by about 50 BC under a fierce campaign
headed by the Parthians. While catastrophic to
social order at the time, the cultural diversity of
the region was greatly enhanced by the
appearance of the Greeks, especially in terms of
artistic production. Even after the Greeks had
gone, their bequest remained in the aesthetic
sense that makes Gandharan art unique.
The golden period of Gandharan art dates to c.
100-200 AD with the arrival of the
Kushans, a Central Asian group under whose
governorship the arts and sciences flourished as
never before. The cocktail of different cultures
saw a completely unique set of architectural and
artistic traditions. Their greatest monarch,
Kanishka, encouraged the arts, and under his
reign totally new conventions were to develop
including the earliest depictions of the Buddha in
human form. The cultural syncretism between
eastern themes and western styles has become
known as Graeco-Buddhism, and is one of the
most remarkable – and successful – examples of
cultural fusion in history. Everything from
architecture to sculpture, coinage and even
jewellery developed in new and extraordinary
ways. Myths and figures from Greek mythology –
such as Atlas, or Dionysus – are also found in
some friezes and paintings. The Buddhas
resemble Greek kings in ersatz togas, sitting in
houses influenced by the Corinthian model, while
Bodhisattvas and other religious figures are often
depicted with startling realism as bare-chested
Indian princes.
The current sculpture is a case in fact. The
startling realism of the facial features
accentuates the calm expression, with heavily
lidded eyes, linear brows and slightly pursed lips.
This is combined with flawless rendering of the
simple draperies. Unlike the minor
deities, he is unadorned except for his elongated
earlobes. The elevated hairstyle – superbly
carved into a tied topknot pattern – conceals the
ushnisha, the extra brain of elevated
consciousness that achieves more exaggerated
expression in later sculptures from across
Southern Asia. The hand gestures – which are
highly formalised in most branches of Buddhism
– imply that the Buddha is expressing the
“mudra” known as the Absence of Fear (Abhâya
mudrâ). He is sitting on a simple cushion atop a
low plinth that is carved with five lotus flowers.
This is a mature and beautifully executed work of
ancient art.
- (PF.4359 (LSO))
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