A mottled red sandstone figure of a lion
Property from the Collection of Ariane Dandois
A mottled red sandstone figure of a lion

INDIA, UTTAR PRADESH, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 1ST CENTURY

细节
A mottled red sandstone figure of a lion
India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Kushan period, 1st century
Powerfully and boldly carved standing with the left foreleg extended, the face with large round eyes and mouth parted exposing the fangs, the chest with thick locks of wavy hair curling at the tips
28¾ in. (73 cm.) high
来源
William H. Wolff Inc., New York, 1970s
出版
Collections, Winter 1977.

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拍品专文

The lion is associated with regality, strength and power, and serves a powerful symbol of Buddha. His teachings are somtimes referred to as the 'Lion's Roar', indicative of their strength and power. The lion is also a symbol of the Shakya clan, from which Shakyamuni descended.
Large images of lions such as this guarded the entrances to Buddhist edifices. With a frontal approach in mind, they would not be depicted as a complete figure, but as emerging from a backdrop. The emphasis is on expression, rather than on naturalism.
For other examples, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, see S. Czuma, Kushan Sculpture: Images from Early India, 1985, cat. no. 50, p. 123; and in the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, see P. Pal, A Collecting Odyssey, 1997, cat. no. 337, p. 244 and 348.