A GANDHARA SCHIST FIGURE OF THE BODHISATTVA MAITREYA,... Lot n° 132

Grey schist; with modern metal base Ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd – 4th century This masterful Schist sculpture of the Bodhisattva Maitreya originates from the Ancient Kingdom of Gandhara. Maitreya is the Buddha of the Future and as befits of his highest rebirth, he wears the garment and jewelry of a prince. As visible in the present lot, he can be identified by the sacred water flask in his left hand. Maitreya is standing on a pedestal with two large lotus blossoms. His nimbus and urna are conveying his divine nature. His looped topknot with beaded ornament is a hairstyle common to images of Maitreya. Naturalism pervades his bare musculature. The elegant folds of his robe reflect the aesthetic influences of the Mediterranean. In contrast, the articulation of his face deviates from this realism – his eyes and mouth are rendered in an idealistic manner, emphasizing the transcendental and compassionate nature of the bodhisattva. The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from 530 BC to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. It stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhara is noted for its distinctive style in Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian and Indian artistic influence. Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. In the first century AD, Gandhara was the birthplace of some of the earliest Buddhist images. Shape: Figural shape Dimensions: 51 cm (height of sculpture alone), 18 cm (maximum width), 57 cm (height with base) Condition: Good condition, fully consistent with the age of the sculpture, material loss to some exposed areas Provenance: Collection of an American gentleman Literature comparison: A closely comparable, yet larger, figure of Maitreya is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession number: 13.96.17). Auction result comparison: Bonham’s, INDI