Page 8 - 2021 March 17th, Indian and Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art, Christie's New York City

GANDHARAN MASTERPIECES FROM A PRIVATE JAPANESE COLLECTION

401
A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF A YAKSHI
ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, SWAT VALLEY,
3RD-4TH CENTURY CE
22Ω in. (57 cm.) high
$8,000-12,000
PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Japan, by 1988, by repute.
Important private collection, Japan, by 1990.
LITERATURE:
I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. I, Tokyo, 1988, p. 35, fig. 44.

古犍陀羅 斯瓦特地區 三/四世紀 灰片岩雕藥叉女立像
來源:
私人珍藏，日本，不晚於1988年（傳）。
重要私人珍藏，日本，不晚於1990年
出版:
栗田功，《ガンダーラ美術〈I〉仏伝》，東京，1988年，頁35，圖44。

The present figure represents a yakshi, or female nature spirit, integrated into
early Buddhism by way of Indian mythology. Tutelary figures of fertility, yakshi
are commonly portrayed as voluptuous figures standing in a sinuous tribhanga
pose, with an arm overstretched to reach a blossoming tree. However, in
the ancient region of Gandhara, the standard composition is mimicked with
more modest female proportions. Architectural figures of yakshi, such as
the present example, frequently served as compositional barriers between
narrative relief panels, often dedicated to the life of Buddha.

Cover and illustration from I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, Vol. I, Tokyo, 1988, p. 35.