A gray schist relief of Buddha on a pedestal
A gray schist relief of Buddha on a pedestal

GANDHARA, 2ND/3RD CENTURY

Details
A gray schist relief of Buddha on a pedestal
Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Standing on a cushion atop a double-lotus base, dressed in a flowing robe with his right hand raised in abhaya mudra, his face with gentle expression surmounted by the ushnisha, backed by a mandala and shielded with a canopy from above
15¾ in. (40 cm.) high
Provenance
Japanese Collection, acquired in the 1990s

Lot Essay

The lotus and cushion upon which the Buddha stands is typical for yakshis, niche figures used to seperate scenes in large reliefs. What is unusual is the combination of the upright and inverted lotuses which seems to be particular to depictions of the Buddha. For closely related examples of yakshi stands, see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan,, 1957, cat. no. 364, and W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, cat. nos. 349-52, p. 202f. For an example of Buddha on the combined lotus, see Zwalf, ibid., cat. no. 256, p. 153.

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