LARGE GANDHARA SCHIST STONE FIGURE OF STANDING BUDDHA

C. 100-300 AD. Gandharan. Schist figure of a bodhisattva, backed by a halo, who stands, gazing serenely into the distance. He is dressed in an elegant sanghati or mantle and wears elaborate jewellery, including a beaded necklace, armbands and bracelets, reflecting his spiritual wealth. His identity as a bodhisattva is established by the presence of an incised urna on his forehead, perhaps originally ornamented with a jewel. Together, these details create a majestic impression of a bodhisattva or individual who is able to reach nirvana (enlightenment) but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings. Gandhara was an ancient region in the Peshawar basin in the north-west of the ancient Indian subcontinent. The Kushan period (c. 75-451 AD) of Gandharan art, to which this figure example belongs, was the golden age of artistic production in the area. Provenance: From the private collection of an Oxford gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed in before 2000 on the UK / International art markets. Size: L:800mm / W:240mm ; 32kg