KUSHAN-GANDHARAN STONE BASE OF VOTIVE STATUE

Ca. AD 300 - 400 . A small stone pedestal, carved in low relief on all four sides, features depictions of recumbent lions, stylised yet clearly legible despite surface wear. The animals are arranged rhythmically at each corner, forming a continuous frieze that likely served a protective or symbolic function. A circular mortise at the top indicates that the object once supported a votive statuette, probably of the Buddha or a bodhisattva. The iconography and execution suggest a workshop active in the later Kushan period, within the Gandh?ra region. Lions in this context function both as emblems of spiritual power and as throne animals, in reference to the Buddha’s epithet ??kyasi?ha (“Lion of the ??kyas”). Size: 135mm x 65mm; Weight: 2.12kg Provenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in the early 2000s in France; previously in 1970s European collection. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.