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Lot Essay
This sculpture has been appraised by M. Beurdeley, Paris, 6 March 1979.
The standing Buddha is of the finest quality and originally placed in a shrine, niche or courtyard of a Buddhist monastery. Detached images of the Buddha are characteristic of the advanced phase of Gandhara art. They started to appear in the late second century when the Mahayana form of Buddhism gained popularity. The worship of the Buddha was encouraged and culminated in an ever-growing demand for his icons. His simple but well carved pleated dress and wavy hair combed over the rather low cranial protuberance suggests a third century date. This specific Buddha figure shows his head slightly tilted and watching to the left, which makes it a rare example as such. It seems that the Buddha listens attentively and in upper concentration to his followers.
The standing Buddha is of the finest quality and originally placed in a shrine, niche or courtyard of a Buddhist monastery. Detached images of the Buddha are characteristic of the advanced phase of Gandhara art. They started to appear in the late second century when the Mahayana form of Buddhism gained popularity. The worship of the Buddha was encouraged and culminated in an ever-growing demand for his icons. His simple but well carved pleated dress and wavy hair combed over the rather low cranial protuberance suggests a third century date. This specific Buddha figure shows his head slightly tilted and watching to the left, which makes it a rare example as such. It seems that the Buddha listens attentively and in upper concentration to his followers.