Details

LOT 0359

Very Large Gandharan Schist Meditating Buddha

2ND-4TH CENTURY AD

41" (118 kg, 104cm including stand).

Depicted in meditation with a contemplative expression, seated above a figural pedestal, this schist sculpture may have formed the centrepiece of an ensemble depicting one of Buddha's miracles; the Buddha sits nimbate with his hands placed palm-upwards in his lap; his ushnisha bears a miniature seated figure above a decorative band; the loosely draped robe reveals his slender torso strung with beaded necklaces and other ornaments; a lozengiform censer hangs from his fingers in front of his crossed legs; the pedestal base displays a scene of worship between tiered pillars; mounted on a custom-made stand.

Provenance

Acquired for the ‘Buckingham Collection’ by the late Nik Douglas (1944-2012), renowned author, curator and Asian art expert; the collection formed from the early 1960s to early 1970s; displayed at the major exhibition ‘The Buddha Image: Out of Uddiyana’, Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street, New York, 16 September-20 October 2010, extended to 16 November and again to 7 January 2011; where the collection of one hundred pieces was publicly valued at US$ 15M; this piece was scheduled to be included in an exhibition entitled ‘On the Silk Route; Birth of The Buddha’, to be held in London from November 2012, but sadly his death prevented this; accompanied by copies of several press releases and articles for the exhibition, including Artnet News, This Week in New York, Huffpost and Buddhist Art News. Accompanied by geologic report No. TL005263 by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz.

Published

Exhibited at ‘The Buddha Image: Out of Uddiyana’, Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street, New York, 16 September-20 October 2010, extended to 16 November and again to 7 January 2011; accompanied by a copy of the main Tibet House exhibition press release which appeared in This Week in New York, featuring this piece as perhaps the single the most important item in the exhibition.

Footnotes

Dr Bonewitz notes: 'No definite source localities have been identified for the stones used by the Gandharan sculptors, but the predominant rock was an alumina-rich chloritoid-paragonite-muscovite-quartz schist, probably from Swat.'

CONDITION