A GRAY SCHIST RELIEF FRAGMENT DEPICTING THE BAVARI LEGEND OR THE VISIT OF THE SIXTEEN ASCETICS, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 1ST-3RD CENTURY

A GRAY SCHIST RELIEF FRAGMENT DEPICTING THE BAVARI LEGEND OR THE VISIT OF THE SIXTEEN ASCETICS, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 1ST-3RD CENTURY

Finely carved in high relief with three Brahmin ascetics standing closely together, the youthful central figure shown frontally with his head turned toward the bearded elder at his side, raising one hand in a gesture of discourse and gathering the folds of his short dhoti with the other. The companions are clad in voluminous robes falling in deeply carved folds, the elderly ascetic to the right distinguished by his long beard and hair tied in a prominent topknot. Their animated gestures and exchanged glances convey the lively discussion surrounding their encounter with the Buddha.Provenance: Brussels trade. By repute acquired from an old private estate in Belgium. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, chips, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations.Weight: 2,798 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Size 17 x 23 cm (excl. stand), 23.5 x 33 cm (incl. stand)Mounted on a velvet-covered wood stand, which dates from around the first half of the 20th century. (2)The visit of the sixteen brahmin ascetics to the Buddha, known as the Bavari legend, is recounted in the Parayanavagga (‘Chapter on the Way to the Far Shore’) of the Sutta Nipata. The brahmin sage Bavari sent his sixteen disciples to seek out the Buddha and test his wisdom. Each posed a question concerning the path to liberation and, convinced by his answers, accepted his teachings. The same scene is depicted below a large schist figure of Buddha illustrated in Isao Kurita, Gandharan Art: The Buddha's Life Story, vol. I, Tokyo, 2003, no. 441, p. 214, and sold at Sotheby’s New York, 18 September 2023, lot 155.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related Gandharan stone relief with an ascetic youth, dated 1st-3rd century, 15.2 cm wide, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 13.96.26. Compare a related Gandharan schist relief fragment with worshippers, dated to the 3rd century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.198-1913.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 11 September 2012, lot 34Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 18,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gray schist relief panel with ascetics, Gandhara, 2nd centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone, depicting a similar group as the present lot in the lower register. Note the larger size (55.2 cm).