A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY
A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY
Kushan period. Finely carved, wearing richly pleated robes and billowing scarves, richly adorned with beaded and floral jewelry. His face bears a serene expression with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, full lips and a curling mustache extending widely across the lips. His wavy hair is gathered in a double-looped topknot secured by a beaded headdress, backed by a circular nimbus.
Provenance: From the private collection of Marie Louise Alexienne Vanleew (1929-2024), Belgium, and thence by direct descent to her grandson, the present owner of this lot.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, shallow cracks, obvious losses, signs of weathering and erosion, chips, nicks, scratches.
Weight: 20.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 64.8 cm (excl. stand), 68.4 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated stand. (2)
Maitreya is one of the most popular bodhisattvas depicted in Gandharan sculpture along with Buddha Gautama. Also known as the Loving One, the distinctive style of topknot is commonly assigned to Maitreya. His rise in popularity coincided with the tenants of Mahayana Buddhism, for which the role of the bodhisattva, and his ability to transfer his own merit to others became paramount. In his preordained role as the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya promises redemption and salvation for devoted practitioners of the faith. The elegantly modeled face displays the classic fusion of Indic and Hellenistic artistic traditions that characterized Gandharan art. Indeed, the double-looped topknot crowing the deity's head is reminiscent of the kroibolis of the Apollo Belvedere and points directly to Greek influence.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related schist figure of Maitreya, 80.7 cm, dated 3rd century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 13.96.17.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 11 September 2019, lot 320
Price: USD 125,000 or approx.
EUR 142,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A grey schist figure of Maitreya, Ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone, with similar face, robes, topknot, headdress, halo (albeit with an incised border), and size (67.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2010, lot 144
Price: USD 68,500 or approx.
EUR 90,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray schist figure of Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone, with similar face, robes, topknot, headdress, and collar. Note the size (55.6 cm) as well as the missing halo.
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A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY
Kushan period. Finely carved, wearing richly pleated robes and billowing scarves, richly adorned with beaded and floral jewelry. His face bears a serene expression with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, full lips and a curling mustache extending widely across the lips. His wavy hair is gathered in a double-looped topknot secured by a beaded headdress, backed by a circular nimbus.
Provenance: From the private collection of Marie Louise Alexienne Vanleew (1929-2024), Belgium, and thence by direct descent to her grandson, the present owner of this lot.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, shallow cracks, obvious losses, signs of weathering and erosion, chips, nicks, scratches.
Weight: 20.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 64.8 cm (excl. stand), 68.4 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated stand. (2)
Maitreya is one of the most popular bodhisattvas depicted in Gandharan sculpture along with Buddha Gautama. Also known as the Loving One, the distinctive style of topknot is commonly assigned to Maitreya. His rise in popularity coincided with the tenants of Mahayana Buddhism, for which the role of the bodhisattva, and his ability to transfer his own merit to others became paramount. In his preordained role as the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya promises redemption and salvation for devoted practitioners of the faith. The elegantly modeled face displays the classic fusion of Indic and Hellenistic artistic traditions that characterized Gandharan art. Indeed, the double-looped topknot crowing the deity's head is reminiscent of the kroibolis of the Apollo Belvedere and points directly to Greek influence.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related schist figure of Maitreya, 80.7 cm, dated 3rd century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 13.96.17.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 11 September 2019, lot 320
Price: USD 125,000 or approx.
EUR 142,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A grey schist figure of Maitreya, Ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone, with similar face, robes, topknot, headdress, halo (albeit with an incised border), and size (67.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2010, lot 144
Price: USD 68,500 or approx.
EUR 90,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray schist figure of Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone, with similar face, robes, topknot, headdress, and collar. Note the size (55.6 cm) as well as the missing halo.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
