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Silk Road Collection
Central Asia

Statue of the Buddha

  • Central Asia
  • Gandhara, Pakistan
  • from the 2nd to the 3rd centuries AD
  • The Kushan Dynasty
  • grey schist
  • 94.0cm in height

The Buddha wears no adornments and takes the appearance of a disciple / saint with its hair tied up. The disk (halo) on its shoulders symbolize that it belongs to the world of infinite light, or in other words, the world of gods. The "free leg", in which the left knee looks like it is slightly stepping forward, originates from Greek art expression. This was only incorporated in the Buddha, Bosatsu, and and Deity in Gandhara. Although it is missing both hands, it is believed that it held a pot in the right and the edge of the garment in the left. Buddha statues of Gandhara are usually in their appearance for going outside, with the garment covering both shoulders in tsuken style.