Important bodhisattva head. India, Kushan dynasty,... Lot 11

Important bodhisattva head. India, Kushan dynasty, 2nd-4th centuries. Pink sandstone. H. 33,5 cm. This imposing head with smiling features surmounted by a superb turban supporting a large blossom that could evoke a blooming lotus flower is executed in the pink sandstone characteristic of the Mathura region in Uttar Pradesh. This powerful and rounded style, combining power and spirituality, is a perfect example of the style developed in this region for the first representations of bodhisattvas during the Kushan empire. Old accidents and missing parts are normal for an archaeological object. Heads of this style and importance are uncommon in collections. Among others, we can cite: The head from the former Heeramaneck collection reproduced by Alice N. Heeramaneck in the catalog "Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture", Verona, 1979 - The head in the Cleveland Museum of Art Inv. 1984.220 - Or the one in the Tokyo National Museum Inv. TC447