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Lot Essay
The correspondence in size, style of carving, unusual aspects such as the scattered vignettes of incised curved lines on the base, high polish and powerful expression, indicate that this is in fact the mate to a winged Atlas at the Norton Simon Museum, see illustration at right. Pal first noted the close proximity in style, but he was unaware of the whereabouts of this figure. Likely executed by the same hand, they rank among the important and expressive of their type in the Gandharan context.
The two figures would have flanked the base of a large Buddhist figure. A. Foucher, L'art Gréco-Bouddhique du Gandhara, 1905, p. 208, was the first to suggest that winged supportive figures of this type are disguised yakshas, borrowing wings from the goddess of victory, combining an Indian concept with iconographic elements from classical sources. In the Gandharan context these winged figures are generally depicted in a more relaxed attitude, often with at least one arm down.
The two figures would have flanked the base of a large Buddhist figure. A. Foucher, L'art Gréco-Bouddhique du Gandhara, 1905, p. 208, was the first to suggest that winged supportive figures of this type are disguised yakshas, borrowing wings from the goddess of victory, combining an Indian concept with iconographic elements from classical sources. In the Gandharan context these winged figures are generally depicted in a more relaxed attitude, often with at least one arm down.