A BUFF SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 3RD-4TH CENTURY
A BUFF SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 3RD-4TH CENTURY
Published & Exhibited:1. Spink & Son, Indian and South East Asian Art, London, 24 May-7 June 1978, cat. no. 32.2. Renaud Montméat, Parcours des Mondes 2015, Paris, p. 8-9, no. 4.Published: Orientations, Hong Kong, Vol. 46 (2), March 2015.India, Uttar Pradesh. Finely carved, the Buddha’s amiable face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes beneath gently arched brows, a broad nose, ample cheeks, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all above a strong rounded chin. The forehead is centered by a raised urna, while the hair is arranged in rows of tight curls rising to a gently rounded ushnisha.Provenance: A private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in 1969. Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom, 1978. Subsequently with Renaud Montméat Art d’Asie, Paris, France, and thereafter with Galerie Grusenmeyer-Woliner, Brussels, Belgium. Renaud Montméat has been dealing with Asian art since 1999. Dedicated to Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art, the gallery is located in the center of Paris, France, and participates in major Asian art fairs in London, Brussels, Paris, and New York. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, obvious losses, nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, few minor old fills. Weight: 11.1 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 30 cm (excl. stand), 44 cm (incl. stand)Mounted on a modern stand. (2)Due to its location on the caravan trade routes through central India, Mathura was for centuries an important economic center. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it became a capital for the mighty Kushan Empire. During this time, both in Mathura and the region of Gandhara simultaneously, images of Buddha began to appear in anthropomorphic form for the first time. In contrast to Gandhara, where Graeco-Roman concerns for naturalism were stressed, the body types of the Mathura Buddhas convey an idealized Indian vitality.Literature comparison: Compare a related larger sandstone head of Buddha, India, dated 1st-2nd century, 63.5 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 29.68.1.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 82Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 58,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A sandstone head of Buddha, Mathura, Kushan period, 2nd-3rd centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone with similar hair, facial features, and full cheeks. Note the similar size (33 cm).
A BUFF SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 3RD-4TH CENTURY
Published & Exhibited:1. Spink & Son, Indian and South East Asian Art, London, 24 May-7 June 1978, cat. no. 32.2. Renaud Montméat, Parcours des Mondes 2015, Paris, p. 8-9, no. 4.Published: Orientations, Hong Kong, Vol. 46 (2), March 2015.India, Uttar Pradesh. Finely carved, the Buddha’s amiable face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes beneath gently arched brows, a broad nose, ample cheeks, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all above a strong rounded chin. The forehead is centered by a raised urna, while the hair is arranged in rows of tight curls rising to a gently rounded ushnisha.Provenance: A private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in 1969. Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom, 1978. Subsequently with Renaud Montméat Art d’Asie, Paris, France, and thereafter with Galerie Grusenmeyer-Woliner, Brussels, Belgium. Renaud Montméat has been dealing with Asian art since 1999. Dedicated to Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art, the gallery is located in the center of Paris, France, and participates in major Asian art fairs in London, Brussels, Paris, and New York. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, obvious losses, nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, few minor old fills. Weight: 11.1 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 30 cm (excl. stand), 44 cm (incl. stand)Mounted on a modern stand. (2)Due to its location on the caravan trade routes through central India, Mathura was for centuries an important economic center. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it became a capital for the mighty Kushan Empire. During this time, both in Mathura and the region of Gandhara simultaneously, images of Buddha began to appear in anthropomorphic form for the first time. In contrast to Gandhara, where Graeco-Roman concerns for naturalism were stressed, the body types of the Mathura Buddhas convey an idealized Indian vitality.Literature comparison: Compare a related larger sandstone head of Buddha, India, dated 1st-2nd century, 63.5 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 29.68.1.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 82Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 58,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A sandstone head of Buddha, Mathura, Kushan period, 2nd-3rd centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone with similar hair, facial features, and full cheeks. Note the similar size (33 cm).
