ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 4TH-5TH CENTURY CE

The present head of a bodhisattva features a rounded face with traces of white slip, downcast eyes, an aquiline nose, and round pierced earlobes, with wavy hair visible at the sideburns. His head is crowned by an elaborate headdress, centred by a lotus bud and a floral medallion, and flanked by writhing dragons at the sides, bearing traces of red paint. While the figure exudes the serene expression characteristic of Gandharan bodhisattvas, the intricacy of the headdress is somewhat unusual compared to other depictions of Gandharan bodhisattvas, though the central floral medallion may be a shared attribute. The presence of zoomorphic motifs introduces a sense of vitality and movement to what is otherwise a traditionally static object of art.
For comparison, see a similarly terracotta Gandharan head of bodhisattva from the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection, sold at Christie’s New York on 22 October 2022, lot 395, for $94,500. Though much of the detail on the Getty collection headdress is lost, they appear to be of a similar type and style.