The ancient region of Gandhara was an important location of trade along the Silk Road, a juncture for people from different civilizations across China, South Asia, and the Mediterranean to exchange items and cultural influences. In Gandhara, now present-day north-west Pakistan and north-east Afghanistan, Buddhism spread from the neighboring Indian subcontinent. Mahayana Buddhism was one branch of the religion that became prominent in Gandhara, and its practice brought about the first anthropomorphic images of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and related figures. In the Mahayana sect, the bodhisattva, a spiritual leader on the path to Buddhahood but who instead postpones enlightenment in order to guide others, takes a preeminent role. Through the help of the bodhisattvas, it gives all practitioners, including laypeople, the opportunity to attain enlightenment in their lifetimes.
While the art of Gandhara was distinctly Buddhist in iconography, there are apparent influences from Persian, Kushan, and Greco-Roman art, brought about by the Silk Road and Alexander the Great’s expansion out to the East. In this grey schist figure of a seated bodhisattva, it is clear there are Hellenistic influences among this sculpture. The bodhisattva is naturalistic in depiction with a soft rounded face, an aquiline nose, and pursed lips, similar in appearance to ancient classical Greek sculpture. He has slightly elongated ears, almond-shaped downcast eyes, and a faintly delineated urna between his gently arched eyebrows. Garments drape along the bodhisattva’s body in naturalistic ripples, once again drawing upon the Hellenistic style, and is additionally adorned with more necklaces, armlets, and bracelets mirroring examples known to be worn by regal figures in the Indian subcontinent. The figure sits on top of a throne in dhyanasana pose with both soles of his feet exposed, and his hands performing the dharmachakra mudra, which signifies the turning of the Wheel of Dharma, the teaching of the Buddha. The figure wears an ornate jeweled turban and is highlighted with a haloed background, emphasizing his holiness and spiritual importance.
See a comparable grey schist illustrated by Isao Kurita in Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo, 2003, pp. 57, no. 141. Although the two statues sit in different poses, note the similar facial features, hand poses, and ornamentation and dress. Another similar statue published by Kurita in Gandharan Art, vol. 11, Tokyo, 2003, pp. 53, no. 128, can also be seen sitting in dhyanasana, hands in dharmachakra mudra, and with a slightly rounder face than the present lot.