GANDHARA, 2ND/3RD CENTURY

This is a very fine example of an Atlas figure popular in Gandharan iconography. It follows Greco-Roman prototypes, although similar figures are often shown equipped with wings, likewise supporting the base of a structure, representing an amalgamation of iconographic elements from Indian and classical sources; for other examples, mostly with wings, see W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, vol. II, figs. 355-78.