GANDHARAN SCHIST PANEL WITH GREAT RENUNCIATION

Ca. AD 100 - 300.
A rectangular panel illustrating the Great Renunciation, it is flanked by pilasters framed by Corinthian columns. At the heart of the scene is a haloed, bare-chested Bodhisattva seated on a bed, with one leg hanging. His right hand is raised, and on the side sits Chandaka with his hands outstretched in a gesture offering a turban. Chandaka is dressed in a turban, similar to the one he offers to the Bodhisattva. Behind the Bodhisattva, his wife is asleep. On the opposing side of the Bodhisattva, a guard is seated, holding a spear. Beneath the bed, three female attendants are in a squatted position, each dressed in long flowing tunics. Their heads are either turned away or obscured in their arms. Mounted on a custom-made stand. For similar see: The British Museum, Museum number 1900,0414.1.
Size: 305mm x 180mm; Weight: 4.52kg
Provenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired on the French art market in the 1960s.This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.