Gandharan Stucco Head of Prince

About Auction

Live

Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Asia

By Artemis Gallery

Oct 25, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-10-25 11:00:00 2018-10-25 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Asia https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/antiquities-from-egypt-greece-italy-asia-3538
Featuring Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, plus Asian art from Central and Far East. If you love the classics, this is the sale for you. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (395)

• Lot Description
  Central Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Gandharan Empire, ca. 200 BCE to 400 CE, probably later in this period based on the use of stucco. A stucco head of a prince, modeled in the traditional Graeco-Buddhist tradition with a full face, fine almond eyes, a naturalistic nose and sensitive mouth, and the remains of an ornate headdress, similar to a turban, atop the head. Two large hoop earrings dangle from the ears. There are remains of black pigment on the eyebrows and the eyes, giving us an idea of how this piece originally looked when made. Size: 4.25" L x 4.5" W x 6.2" H (10.8 cm x 11.4 cm x 15.7 cm); 9.7" H (24.6 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Alexander the Great conquered Gandhara in 330 BCE and with the help of the Indo-Greek kings introduced classical traditions that would influence Gandharan art for the following seven centuries. The stylized curly Mediterranean hair and top knot derive from classical sculptures such as the Apollo Belvedere (330 BCE), and the sensitive modeling of the expressive face - especially around the eyes - demonstrates a classical influence as well.
  
  Gandharans are famous for schist and stucco carvings, with stucco replacing schist as the dominant material around the 3rd century CE. Vast monastic institutions like those at Takht-i-Bahi, Sahri-Bahlol, Jamal Garhi, Ranigat, and Thareli were decorated by skilled artisans with stucco representations of important figures, religious scenes, and artistic dedications. Stucco allowed artists more freedom in portraying lifelike features, as shown in the gentle curve of the brow here. During this time, Gandhara was exceptionally wealthy, profiting from trade along the Silk Road; patrons had resources to spend on the arts, creating a flowering of stucco artwork. Some monumental statues had stucco hands, feet, and heads alongside clay torsos - the size of these figures was such that clay was needed to maintain their form.
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #137820

  Condition

  Head is a fragment, with losses around the neck and the back of the head. One of the hoop earrings has been reattached. Some small areas of remaining pigment and very nicely preserved details of the face, hair, and turban.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 26.50 %