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All auctions / Ancient Art / Gandhara Stucco Bust of Shakyamuni Buddha in stucco with a large circular
Bust of Shakyamuni Buddha in stucco with a large circular nimbus – Gandhara – 4th–5th century Important Buddhist sculpture in stucco representing Buddha Shakyamuni, originating from the ancient region of Gandhara, corresponding today mainly to the north of Pakistan and the east of Afghanistan. The Buddha is represented frontally, in a posture of deep meditation. His hands rest one on the other in front of the abdomen in the dhyāna-mudrā, the traditional gesture of meditation. The face, particularly expressive, presents half-closed eyes under arched eyebrow ridges, a straight nose, and full lips forming a calm and interiorized expression. The wavy hair is gathered at the crown into a prominent uṣṇīṣa. The figure is clothed in a heavy monastic robe whose deeply modeled folds fall in broad curves over the chest and tighten at the sleeves. The treatment of the garment, the face, and the hands testifies to the quality of modeling typical of late Gandharan stucco productions. A wide circular nimbus develops behind the head, reinforcing the monumental presence of the composition. Stucco was widely used in the great Buddhist centers of Gandhara for creating sculptures intended for stupas, chapels, and sanctuaries. Its flexibility allowed artisans to achieve faces of great softness and draperies that are especially lively. The reverse, left largely raw, reveals the internal structure and the coarser core of the sculpture. This construction is coherent with a work originally designed to be placed against a wall or integrated into an architectural ensemble. The bust is today presented on a modern metal base also ensuring the support of the nimbus. Traces of dark coloration are still visible, notably at the level of the lips. They might correspond to remnants of an old polychromy, common on Gandharan stucco sculptures, although no scientific analysis has yet been performed. Provenance Former Yvette Starck collection, Luxembourg. By succession to Jacques Grosbusch, Luxembourg, universal legatee of the collection. Sold to Olivier Maréchal in 2024. A provenance statement written and signed by Jacques Grosbusch, dated 31 July 2024, accompanies the work and confirms this provenance as well as the sale. Museum Comparisons A significant comparison can be made with an adjacent stucco Buddha figure from Hadda, Gandhara, held at the Cleveland Museum of Art, inv. 1967.39, height 36.9 cm. The treatment of the face, the position of the hands, the drapery, and the material are particularly close. Another meditational stucco Buddha, from Pakistan and dated from the 3rd to 5th century, is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 1984.486.6, height 50.8 cm. These two works were already among the comparisons listed in the former documentation of the piece. Market Comparisons A Gandharan stucco Buddha figure, dated to the 4th–5th centuries and about 27.9 cm high, was sold at Bonhams New York on 17 September 2014, lot 86, for USD 10,625 including fees. A Gandharan stucco bodhisattva figure, dated to the 3rd–4th centuries and about 40 cm high, was sold at Christie’s New York on 20 March 2009, lot 1247, for USD 15,000. Condition Very good condition given its age. The work is fragmentary, the lower part of the body no longer preserved. There are signs of wear, losses, small flakes, abrasions, signs of erosion, concretions, and stucco irregularities. The nimbus also shows ancient losses on its edges and on the reverse. Despite these alterations, the face, hands, drapery, and overall composition remain particularly legible. The old lot description already noted wear, losses, flakes, erosion, and concretions. Detailed photographs are an integral part of the description and allow a precise appreciation of the state of conservation. Dimensions: approximately 39.5 cm in height excluding the base; 41 cm with the base. Weight: 7.8 kg with base. Material: stucco. Origin: ancient Gandhara region. Dating: 4th–5th century. Because of the quality of its modeling, the serenity of its expression, the preservation of the large nimbus, and the seated meditation hands, this bust constitutes a particularly evocative testimony of late Gandharan stucco Buddhist sculpture. Video Link : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bh0juz1pvc807uhiyrkx7/AM5tox4IdL1I49ls_2xCU5w?rlkey=sqmnw06gb9m762zwzef74piym&dl=0
Estimate:£6,363.77
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorAncient Art
Estimate:
£6,363.77
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
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