ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 3RD-4TH CENTURY CE

Exceptionally carved in deeply detailed relief, this large stele depicts Buddha Shakyamuni in retinue with Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Accompanied by splendid portrayals of nature, the figures of Buddha and his attendants are elegantly modeled, appearing at points to be nearly in the round.
The scene depicted in this relief and similar compositions has been subject of dispute over the past century. The much-cited early scholar of Gandharan art, Alfred Foucher attributes the type to 'The Great Miracle at Shravashti,' where Buddha performs several miracles to repute challenges from the heretics (see A. Foucher, The Beginnings of Buddhist Art, London, 1917, pp. 147-184). Among his miracles, and perhaps the most significant, is Buddha’s self-multiplication. According to Buddhist doctrine, Buddha sat cross-legged upon a lotus flower created by the naga kings Nanda and Upanda. As he entered a state of contemplation, a second lotus was created atop the first, and atop the new lotus, a second seated Buddha appeared.
While writing on the comparable Mohammed Nari Stele at the Lahore Museum (see A. Proser, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara, 2011, New York, p. 163, cat. 68 for illustration) Juhyung Rhi questions the attribution to this triad type as the Miracle at Shravashti (see, J. Rhi, “Complex Steles: Great Miracle, Paradise, or Theophany” in The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara, 2011, New York, pp. 65-72). Rhi points out that the composition could alternatively be identified as Sukhavati, the paradise of Buddha Amitabha. The composition of the present triad, and similar examples, draws parallels to the depiction of Sukhavati in early East Asian art, which depict a seated Buddha flanked by standing Bodhisattvas. Reference the seventh-century Tang dynasty murals in Cave 332 at Dunhuang, or images of Amitabha with Bodhisattvas within Qianxisi Cave at the Longmen Grottoes for early Chinese Amitabha triads, which parallel the present configuration.
Either assertion lends an interesting interpretation of the present relief. If the Miracle at Shravashti is indeed portrayed, the scene is reduced to its essential elements. In this work, Buddha is depicted seated upon a twice-layered lotus, stylistically reminiscent of bases accompanying bronze figures of Swat Valley (see lot 442). Two figures emerge waist-up from the bottom of the stele and appear to hoist the lotus out from the water. Two princely figures kneel in devotion from either lower corner, suggesting the presence of Nanda and Upananda. Buddha is flanked by bodhisattvas standing upon their own lotus bases, likely Avalokiteshvara, grasping a lotus, on the proper right and Maitreya, carrying a water vessel, on the left. Indra and Brahma are each nestled between the bodhisattvas and Buddha, emerging from the background, rather than firmly placed figures. A second figure of Buddha stands upon a lotus base in the top right corner. In the opposite, corner stands a bodhisattva, who may be identified as either Maitreya or Siddhartha, although it lacks definitive attributes in its present condition. Several proto-yaksha figures rest in the flowering tree, holding parasols and garlands over Buddha.
The present stele demonstrates the work of a highly skilled artisan; while only a few inches thick, the relief manages to incorporate considerable detail and depth. A stand out among more common lower-relief works depicting similar subjects, the present lot may be compared to a rare and well-published dated Buddhist triad from the same private collection sold at Christie’s New York, 23 September 2020, lot 609. Also compare the work to a parcel gilt and polychromed gray schist stele of the Teaching Buddha sold at Christie's New York on 11 September 2012, lot 522; the present stele can be assumed to have had similar polychromy, although traces of such evidence rarely survive into the present day.