A MONUMENTAL STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY
A MONUMENTAL STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 169, LA 2002, UK Mankowitz, Gandhara 2nd-3rd c. Stucco face fragment of Buddha”
Gallery price: EUR 28,000 or approx.
EUR 47,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Expert's note: This larger than life-size head was once part of a monumental frieze, from which it was removed a long time ago. Such colossal Buddha images, especially made in stucco, are known from various archaeological sites in the Gandhara region of ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Buddha's heavily-lidded pensive eyes convey his compassion for all sentient beings.
Kushan period. The face displaying a serene expression with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, below elegantly arched brows, centered by an aquiline nose above full bow-shaped lips with an oval depression used to define the philtrum, framed by gently-rounded cheeks betraying a youthful demeanor.
Provenance: Collection of Dane Rose, London, United Kingdom, 1986. Jonathan Mankowitz, London, 1990s. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Copenhagen, Denmark. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above in 2002. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 24 years.
Jonathan Adam Mankowitz (1949-1992) was a British dealer of Asian works of art active in London and the second son of the celebrated writer, playwright, and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz and psychoanalyst Ann Mankowitz. He grew up in a family deeply immersed in literature, the arts, and the antiques trade, with his father himself having begun his career as a dealer specializing in English ceramics before achieving literary fame, and both his brother and aunt active in the trade as well.
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, old repairs and fills, chips, nicks and scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.
Weight: 28.5 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 46 cm (excl. stand), 57 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
Remarkable in its scale, this fragment of a head is from a colossal representation of Buddha produced for a once monumental stupa along the ancient Silk Road in modern day Afghanistan. It presents one of the earliest and most influential sculptural traditions representing Buddha in human form, and bespeaks these thriving centers of Buddhism in the first half of the first millennium AD.
Gandhara, located in the rugged foothills of the Himalayas, was a thriving cultural crossroads, where Greek, Parthian, and Kushan influences converged with the indigenous Buddhist tradition. The wealth of the region, bolstered by its pivotal role in trade, allowed for the commissioning of grandiose sculptures and monumental icons that reflected the evolving Buddhist philosophy, particularly from the 4th to 5th centuries AD. These works embodied the transformative ideologies of a flourishing Gandharan society, as seen in their increasingly complex iconography and monumental scale.
The use of stucco in Gandharan sculpture, particularly at sites such as Hadda, represents a pivotal moment in the history of Buddhist art. Sculptural production in this medium was central to the period, allowing for rapid construction of large-scale images and architectural decoration, as evidenced by the extensive findings at Takht-i-Bahi, where over 270 sculptures were uncovered, many dating to the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. The speed and flexibility of stucco as a material made it ideal for the dynamic religious patronage of the time, where monumental images were created to adorn both monastic shrines and sacred spaces.
Hadda, situated in modern-day Afghanistan, is perhaps the most significant archaeological site for the study of Gandharan stucco. The site, thought to be the origin of this Buddha, reveals the mastery of stucco sculptors who combined Greco-Buddhist styles with Buddhist iconography. These sculptures, like the present lot, would have been integral to the visual and spiritual landscape of Buddhist monasticism. Though much of Hadda was destroyed during the civil war and subsequent looting by the Taliban, its profound legacy continues to influence the understanding of Gandharan art.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related smaller stucco head of Buddha, dated 3rd-4th century, 24.1 cm high, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, object number 2009.1708. Compare a related smaller stucco head of Buddha, dated 4th-5th century, 33 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1935,0312.1. Compare a related larger stucco head of Buddha, dated 4th century, 68 cm high, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number 50.25.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 8
Price: HKD 4,660,000 or approx.
EUR 597,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychromed stucco head of Buddha, Ancient region of Gandhara, circa 4th-5th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and similar facial expression and dimpled philtrum. Note the size (61 cm) and that the comparable is a complete head with well-preserved polychromy.
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A MONUMENTAL STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 169, LA 2002, UK Mankowitz, Gandhara 2nd-3rd c. Stucco face fragment of Buddha”
Gallery price: EUR 28,000 or approx.
EUR 47,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Expert's note: This larger than life-size head was once part of a monumental frieze, from which it was removed a long time ago. Such colossal Buddha images, especially made in stucco, are known from various archaeological sites in the Gandhara region of ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Buddha's heavily-lidded pensive eyes convey his compassion for all sentient beings.
Kushan period. The face displaying a serene expression with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, below elegantly arched brows, centered by an aquiline nose above full bow-shaped lips with an oval depression used to define the philtrum, framed by gently-rounded cheeks betraying a youthful demeanor.
Provenance: Collection of Dane Rose, London, United Kingdom, 1986. Jonathan Mankowitz, London, 1990s. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Copenhagen, Denmark. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above in 2002. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 24 years.
Jonathan Adam Mankowitz (1949-1992) was a British dealer of Asian works of art active in London and the second son of the celebrated writer, playwright, and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz and psychoanalyst Ann Mankowitz. He grew up in a family deeply immersed in literature, the arts, and the antiques trade, with his father himself having begun his career as a dealer specializing in English ceramics before achieving literary fame, and both his brother and aunt active in the trade as well.
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, old repairs and fills, chips, nicks and scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.
Weight: 28.5 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 46 cm (excl. stand), 57 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
Remarkable in its scale, this fragment of a head is from a colossal representation of Buddha produced for a once monumental stupa along the ancient Silk Road in modern day Afghanistan. It presents one of the earliest and most influential sculptural traditions representing Buddha in human form, and bespeaks these thriving centers of Buddhism in the first half of the first millennium AD.
Gandhara, located in the rugged foothills of the Himalayas, was a thriving cultural crossroads, where Greek, Parthian, and Kushan influences converged with the indigenous Buddhist tradition. The wealth of the region, bolstered by its pivotal role in trade, allowed for the commissioning of grandiose sculptures and monumental icons that reflected the evolving Buddhist philosophy, particularly from the 4th to 5th centuries AD. These works embodied the transformative ideologies of a flourishing Gandharan society, as seen in their increasingly complex iconography and monumental scale.
The use of stucco in Gandharan sculpture, particularly at sites such as Hadda, represents a pivotal moment in the history of Buddhist art. Sculptural production in this medium was central to the period, allowing for rapid construction of large-scale images and architectural decoration, as evidenced by the extensive findings at Takht-i-Bahi, where over 270 sculptures were uncovered, many dating to the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. The speed and flexibility of stucco as a material made it ideal for the dynamic religious patronage of the time, where monumental images were created to adorn both monastic shrines and sacred spaces.
Hadda, situated in modern-day Afghanistan, is perhaps the most significant archaeological site for the study of Gandharan stucco. The site, thought to be the origin of this Buddha, reveals the mastery of stucco sculptors who combined Greco-Buddhist styles with Buddhist iconography. These sculptures, like the present lot, would have been integral to the visual and spiritual landscape of Buddhist monasticism. Though much of Hadda was destroyed during the civil war and subsequent looting by the Taliban, its profound legacy continues to influence the understanding of Gandharan art.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related smaller stucco head of Buddha, dated 3rd-4th century, 24.1 cm high, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, object number 2009.1708. Compare a related smaller stucco head of Buddha, dated 4th-5th century, 33 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1935,0312.1. Compare a related larger stucco head of Buddha, dated 4th century, 68 cm high, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number 50.25.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 8
Price: HKD 4,660,000 or approx.
EUR 597,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychromed stucco head of Buddha, Ancient region of Gandhara, circa 4th-5th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and similar facial expression and dimpled philtrum. Note the size (61 cm) and that the comparable is a complete head with well-preserved polychromy.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
