Ca. 100–300 AD. Gandharan. A schist narrative relief depicting sequential scenes from the life of the Buddha. The most prominent scene depicts the Buddha's First Sermon, where he sits cross-legged and robed, hands held in the mudra of teaching, surrounded by ascetics who witness this lesson. Narrative reliefs like this one became popular adornment for the stupas which were set up to house relics and bodily remains of buddhas and bodhisattvas. They are a stunning and elegant retelling of sacred events. Gandhara sat at the crossroad of civilisations on the Silk Road, drawing on influences from across the world, and its earlier conquest by Alexander the Great had left a legacy of Greek artisans and enduring Hellenistic style. This makes Gandharan art distinct for its use of Buddhist themes and iconography with some of the delicate naturalism of Greek sculpture. Here we see this merging of cultures in the subject matter; while the life of Buddha is central, the Titan Atlas can be seen in the lower left holding a scene divider. For more information about Gandharan art, see Jongeward, D. (2019). Buddhist Art Of Gandhara in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Provenance: London private collection; formerly acquired in the 1990s in London; formerly in 1960s/70s British collection. Size: L:780mm / W:450mm ; 30k+g