FEATURES ARCHIVE

Dr. Hugo Weihe, International Director of Asian Art and International Specialist Head of Indian and Southeast Asian Art, explains the rich history behind a remarkable Gandharan Silver Collection.

This season, my colleagues and I have had the extraordinary privilege of inspecting, researching, and admiring a group of rare silver treasures from the ancient region of Gandhara. With their utilitarian nature, these precious wares are imbued with a sense of function and provide an intimate view on the exciting exchange of concepts, ideas, and material goods at the crossroads of Asia during the 1st century, when this group was assembled. They were acquired in 1979 by Julian Sherrier, a leading figure in the field of Gandharan art, and hail from his private collection. Many of the pieces are inscribed with the owner’s or donor’s names, mostly of Indian origin, but some with Greek, Scythian and Iranian origin. 

What makes this collection particularly important is its representation of the confluence of styles unique to the Gandharan region. Located in what is today northern Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gandhara was a cultural crossroad because of its central location along the Silk Road trade routes. Alexander the Great’s conquest in the 4th century B.C. opened the region to Hellenism, and Hellenistic motifs and techniques soon mingled with Buddhist art to create a highly unique iconography. 

While the silver wares in this collection are unified by having been collected together at a moment in time in Gandhara during the 1st century, they are likely from different sources and workshops. Some objects in the collection, including a kantharos with Centaurs, are most likely Roman imports, while others are inspired by classical prototypes, but most probably of local Eastern manufacture. This material is of the utmost importance and rarity, and includes pieces of iconic design and timeless beauty.