GANDHARAN HEAD OF BUDDHA GANDHARA, 4TH - 5TH CENTURY A.D. dark grey stucco, Buddha is depicted with a serene countenance, his almond-shaped eyes half closed and mouth set with a gentle smile, the hair rises in waves to form a bun-shaped ushnisha, the earlobes characteristically elongated (19.8cm high excl. stand) Provenance: With Spink & Son Ltd. from at least July 1989 Private Japanese Collection, kept in Switzerland, acquired from the above on 27th July 1989 With David Aaron Ltd., London, since 23rd December 2010. Imported from Switzerland to London in February 2011 Private Collection of Mr. L., acquired from the above on 30th August 2017 (D2083) Note: For a similar example please see Victoria and Albert Museum, London, accession number IM.3-1931 The substitution of stucco and terracotta for the traditional grey schist of earlier Gandharan sculptures allowed for greater artistic innovation and creative freedom. The use of these raw materials allowed for sculptures to be moulded and sculpted while still malleable, rather than requiring intensive chiselling from hard stone, drastically reducing production times. This masterfully crafted sculpture, depicting the Buddha as a young man and originally part of a large-scale figure carved in high-relief, exhibits a wonderfully evocative image. Excavations at various archaeological sites throughout Gandhara have uncovered examples of moulds for similar Buddha heads, suggesting that they were created at the monasteries where they were installed. The Gandhara kingdom, located in the Peshawar Valley and the Potohar Plateau, was a deeply Buddhist province with strong ties to the teachings of the Buddha since his death in 480 B.C. This ancient province was a melting pot of Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian, and Central Asian influences, resulting in the evolution of a diverse yet idiosyncratic form of Buddhist art. The Kushan Empire, which ruled Gandhara from 30-375 AD., was skilled at assimilating cultures, ruling trade routes, and maintaining close diplomatic ties with the Roman, Chinese, and Sasanian Empires. This sculpture, along with other opus of Kushan Buddhist art from the area, can be dated to between the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. and depicts a fusion of Hellenistic motifs with Orientalist traditions, resulting in a new form of Buddhist iconography where western stylistic signatures such as curled hair and heavy drapery begin to appear prevalent on eastern-like forms.