
Alvina Ang
Sale Coordinator & Cataloguer
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€15,000 - €20,000
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Provenance:
Appraised by Emmanuel de Monbrison, Paris, 19 April 1983.
Christie's, Paris, 16 December 2022, lot 197.
犍陀羅 三至四世紀 片岩佛首
來源
Emmanuel de Monbrison 估值,巴黎,1983年4月19日
佳士得,巴黎,2022年12月16日,拍品197
The anthropomorphism of the Buddha is a hallmark of Gandharan art, celebrated for introducing the earliest figural representations of the Buddha in human form. The Buddha's meticulously carved thick, wavy locks are swept back from the urna to form a widow's peak, reminiscent of Hellenistic sculptural conventions. Applying Greco-Roman ideals of beauty, the chiselled facial structure, aquiline nose and defined cupid's bow lip reflect the artistic exchanges in the ancient region of Gandhara stemming from Alexander the Great's legacy. The attention to naturalism, particularly evinced in the gentle facial modelling and full cheeks, imparts a lifelike presence to the sculpture, bridging the gap between the divine and the human form of the Buddha. The ushnisha, depicted here as a topknot, stands as a paramount iconographic attribute of the Buddha, signifying a tangible embodiment of the heightened wisdom attained upon enlightenment. Heavy-lidded eyes cast downward in a meditative gaze impart a serene countenance. His elongated earlobes, symbolise renunciation, referencing the Buddha's past as a prince who once wore heavy gold earrings. Compare with a closely related example sold at Christie's, New York, 19 March 2013, lot 201. Further comparison can be made with a head of a Buddha formerly from the collection of Claude de Marteau, sold at Bonhams, Paris, 12 June 2023, lot 41.