Page 88 - Bonhams Himalayan, Indian Art march 2015

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A carved schist head of Buddha
Ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd/4th century
With smooth stylized features and thick rippling locks over the ushnisha secured by a chain
and disc pendant.
11 3/4 in. (29.7 cm) high
$50,000 - 80,000
Capturing a sense of serene interiority, the present lot is a superior example of its kind.
Gandharan sculpture’s Greco-Roman legacy and its evolution towards abstraction are
seamlessly juxtaposed with the naturalistic curves of his nasal sidewall, nostrils, dimples, and
chin, and the crisp ridges defining his lips, philtrum, eyelids, and eyebrows.
His locks emanate like rays of a resplendent light, secured by a fine beaded chain with a
semi-circular central medallion that appears across a number of seated images of Preaching
Buddha held in The British Museum (see Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the
British Museum, vol. II, London, 1996, pp. 19, 22 & 23, nos 20, 24 & 26).
A letter dated January 2nd, 1971 from Carl Winberg to the current owner’s parents notes the
bestowal of the head and explains the history of Taxila. Winberg was an America diplomat,
Foreign Service officer, and agricultural attaché. He served in India, Indonesia, Burma,
Pakistan, The Congo, Australia and Bangladesh, before retiring in 1977.
Provenance
Carl O. Winberg, before 1971
Gift to the current owner’s parents by the above
Private Collection

86 | BONHAMS