A green schist figure of a seated Buddha holding a flower

GANDHARA, 4TH CENTURY

Details

A green schist figure of a seated Buddha holding a flower
Gandhara, 4th Century
Carved seated in dhyanasana with his hands folded and wearing a robe with cascading folds, his face with a benign expression, backed by a nimbus carved with leaf borders
24½ in. (62.2 cm.) high

Lot Essay

The treatment of the drapery with concentric cascading folds relates to the 'Udayana type'. According to the legend, King Udayana had an image made and presented it to Buddha, which was sanctioned by him.
The sculpture is unusual for the highly detailed floral nimbus; for a related example, see I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. II, 2003, fig. 245, p. 96.

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