**Originally Listed At $1200**

Central Asia, Pakistan / Afghanistan, Gandhara, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A very rare section of a stone stele incised with a Gandharan Buddhist written script, framed with a wonderfully detailed floral and geometric border. This piece was most likely from the base of a Buddhist shrine. Gandhara's visual culture displayed a rich blend of East and West- in 330 BCE Alexander the Great conquered the region; Greek culture would influence Gandharan art for the following seven centuries. During this period, over 60 languages were used in Gandhara, however preserved script is a rarity and what has been discovered has yet to be fully deciphered! Some of the better-known ancient Gandhara writing systems include, Pushkarasari, Brahmi, and Kharosthi. Researchers have presented strong evidence of the origins and relationships of these scripts to other languages at the time. Ties to Semetic languages such as Aramaic and Greek, as well as the use of some Chinese characters all demonstrate the cross-cultural connections! Size: 15.125" L x 1.5" W x 3" H (38.4 cm x 3.8 cm x 7.6 cm)

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Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003; ex-French collection acquired in the 1950s to 1960s from the Drouot Auction House in Paris

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#177346

Fragment of a larger piece as shown. Old losses to peripheries and chips. Surface wear and abrasions, but carved motifs and script are well preserved. Light mineral deposits in recessed areas. No repairs or restoration.