**First Time At Auction**

Central Asia, Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan, Gandharan Empire, ca. 1st century CE. An incredible schist head wearing a turban-style headdress, in a beautiful state of preservation, the uma dot on the forehead marks him as the young Prince Siddharta (Siddhartha), dressed in the contemporary Gandharan finery of a rajah. A miniature buddha seated in lotus with a halo is perched atop the turban. This is an amazing and naturalistic carving from the period of Greco-Buddhist art. The Gandharan Empire made itself wealthy in part by controlling lucrative trade along the mountain passes between China in the East and the Near East and Mediterranean in the West; a great deal of this wealth went into local patronage of artisans and art. The Gandharan artistic tradition also reflects the conquest of Alexander the Great and the introduction of styles from all sides, which this Buddha exemplifies. The wavy hair of this sculpture and others from the same tradition were likely influenced by the Belvedere Apollo (ca. 330 BCE). Size: 10.75" L x 8.5" W x 16" H (27.3 cm x 21.6 cm x 40.6 cm); 22" H (55.9 cm) on included custom stand.

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Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003; ex-English collection acquired in London in the 1950s

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#177358

Fragment of a larger sculpture as shown. Old losses to earlobes, and chips and abrasions to high pointed areas. Overall excellent with sharp features, some softening to finer details on headdress. Mineral encrustations on surface as shown.