A LARGE GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, KUSHAN PERIOD, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY

A LARGE GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, KUSHAN PERIOD, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY
Superbly carved, seated in dhyanasana with his hands held in dharmachakra mudra, dressed in a voluminous sanghati with exquisitely carved folds, elegantly pooling in concentric rings at his ankles and spilling over the edge of the base, bedecked with various necklaces including a large choker with inset design and talismanic armlets. His serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes below gently arched brows centered by a raised urna, secured by an elaborate headdress comprising a network of beads interlinked between horizontal bands that rest above the forehead and wrap around the ushnisha.
Provenance:
From an old Belgian private collection. Acquired before 1970 and thence by descent in the family.
Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion. A few structural cracks with associated losses, some of which show old restoration.
Weight: 148 kg
Dimensions: Height 109.5 cm (incl. stand) and 105.5 cm (excl. stand)
Maitreya is backed by a halo and his throne is carved with a frieze depicting two devotees on either side of a fire altar flanked by zoomorphic columns.
With consummate skill, the sculptor has achieved a majestic enthroned Maitreya
. The marvelous naturalism conveyed throughout the torso and robe, as the latter slackens and contorts around the powerful figure, is a testament to the virtuoso who carved it. With a broad muscular torso, strong hands, and ornate stylized folds, this large sculpture exhibits the power and authority of Maitreya, believed to reside in Tushita heaven until the time comes when Shakyamuni is no longer remembered and the future Buddha will need to be reborn.
As Mahayana Buddhism spread from Gandhara to China
, images of Maitreya became the focal point of a widespread cult, the idea of a messianic savior appealing to many living under the chaotic political climate and civil unrest of the Six Dynasties period that followed the collapse of the Western Han Dynasty in the beginning of the 3rd century - the time around which this sculpture was made. The link between the art of Gandhara and early Buddha images in China is demonstrated through a direct comparison of the facial features and robes between the present lot and a gilt bronze Buddha held in the Harvard Art Museums, object number 1943.53.80.A, which is among the earliest devotional Buddhist images made in China.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related gray schist figure of Maitreya, dated to the 2nd century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.303-1920. Compare a related schist figure of Maitreya, 32 cm high, dated 2nd-4th century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.4-1911. Compare two sculptures of youthful bodhisattvas also displaying the teaching mudra, see I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo & New York, Tokyo, 2003, pp. 53 & 57, nos. 128 and 141.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2012, lot 724
Price: USD 146,500 or approx.
EUR 177,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray schist figure of Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and modeling with similar pose and hand gesture, robes and jewelry, expression and hairstyle, nimbus, and throne with a similarly carved frieze also depicting devotees around a fire altar. Note the size (74.3 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 18 September 2013, lot 60
Price: USD 80,500 or approx.
EUR 96,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A schist figure of Maitreya, ancient region of Gandhara, circa 3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and modeling with similar pose, hairstyle, robes, jewelry, and nimbus. Note the different hand gesture and the mustache, as well as the related size (106.6 cm).
約西元三世紀犍陀羅貴霜帝國大型灰色片岩彌勒佛像
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