A GREY SCHIST FIGURE OF A STANDING BUDDHA ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 2ND/3RD CENTURY |

the Buddha standing with long draping robes falling heavily off both shoulders and down the body in finely layered creases, the left knee is flexed in tribhanga posture, the abdomen lightly rounded softening the athletic build and square jawline, the almond-shaped eyes with lids half open in meditative repose, the hair twisted in a wave pattern drawn over the dome-shaped ushnisha on top of the head

Acquired 1975.

In good overall condition for an object of this age and type. Both hands and feet missing as evident in the illustration. Remains of a fragmentary halo adjoining the left and right shoulder. Losses to the nose. A small crack running vertical on the right side from the hair into the forehead and eyebrow. Some restoration to the facial features. The pleats of the robe are deeply undercut and while they are in very good condition, there are minor chips to some of their edges along with some restoration to the folds of the upper right shoulder and a few areas to the drapery on the left forearm and inner area between the arm and body. There are also areas of accretion adhering to some of the pleat ridges and along the veins of the hair. Metal supporting rods have been drilled in place to attach the sculpture to a rectangular base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

From the fertile Peshawar valley, in between the Indus and Kabul Rivers, the winter capital of the Kushan monarchs expanded into an empire spanning the distance across the Khyber from Afghanistan in the east and Pakistan in the north. Along with it came the spread of a cosmopolitan artistic style- a blend of Indian iconography and the naturalism found in classical Greek marbles. It is from the blending of these styles that the standing Buddha emerges, with a precise standardized form. Coming from India, the characteristics of the Buddha including the ushnisha, the urna, the elongated ears and the mudra come from the heartland and birthplace of Buddhism. The Classical treatment evident in the draping folds of the robe, the almond shaped eyes, and in the general physiognomy of the Buddha create an anticipated naturalism that one expects to see in the portrayal of Hercules.

Compare the treatment of the drapery and the shape of the eyes to a standing Buddha from the British Museum, published in W. Zwalf's A Catalogue of Gandharan Sculpture in the British Museum, London, 1996, p. 9, cat. 1.