Page 105 - March 23 2022 Boinghams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art

448
A LARGE GREY SCHIST FIGURE OF SEATED MAITREYA 古犍陀羅 三/四世紀 灰片岩雕彌勒菩薩坐像
ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 3RD-4TH CENTURY CE
來源:
30Ω in. (77.5 cm.) high 私人珍藏, 日本, 不晚於1990年
$80,000-120,000 出版:
栗田功, 《ガンダーラ美術〈II〉仏陀の世界》, 東京, 1990年, 頁39, 圖90
PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Japan, by 1990.
LITERATURE:
I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, p. 39, fig. 90.
With the water vessel held pendent in the proper left hand, this figure almost

certainly represents the bodhisattva, Maitreya. This identification is reinforced articulated diaper-pattern hem over short, lathe-turned legs. The front of the
by the hairstyle, which in the Gandharan context is generally reserved for throne is masterfully carved to indicate stretched drapery hanging between
this bodhisattva. Maitreya is considered the Buddha of the future - when the the throne legs, and a bowl, perhaps emitting incense, is indicated. The figure
dharma is forgotten on Earth, he will descend from the Tushita Heaven to be is carved with robust musculature, particularly in the abdomen, as if the
born in our realm as the next Buddha. His iconic water vessel, the kumbha, is torso was filled with yogic energy, and the proper right hand is depicted with
found in many different contexts within Indian sculpture, but is almost always webbed fingers as befitting an enlightened being. The well-preserved face is
a symbol of fertility and life. It is an apt visual icon, therefore, for Maitreya's role carved with a youthful fullness of the cheek, large, almond-shaped eyes, and
as a progenitor of future peace and order. sinuously-curved brows. Among the stylistic flourishes found in this unusual
example include the garland necklace joined by putti-form clasps supporting
When he is born on Earth, Maitreya will be of brahmin stock. He is dressed, a central faceted jewel; the bottle vase carved with a raised and ornate
therefore, in the rich garb similar to that of the historical Buddha, prior to his beadwork-design; the inclusion of a crescent moon in the beaded headband
renunciation of worldly life. His vestments include a foliate torc, a garland- securing the topknot of hair; and the ring tied around the end of the pendent
form necklace, and a cord with cylindrical amulet boxes, of a type still in use sash that hangs languidly over the left wrist.
in South Asia. He is robed in a dhoti with a heavier sanghati draped over the
shoulders, open at the front to expose his muscular chest. Both display the
naturalistic attention to drapery characteristic of the Gandharan period that is
held over from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region.

In the present work, the bodhisattva sits on a cushioned throne with an

I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, cover and p. 39.

102 103