Gandharan Black Schist Head of a Bodhisattva

Estate of Robert Plotz, New York, NY acquired in the 1990s; Thence by descent.

Fragmented, as shown, the face with a polished surface, the tip of the proper right ear chipped and put back, and with general chips and wear throughout commiserate with age. Overall in excellent condition.

Gandharan art of this period is heavily influenced by its early contact with Mediterranean cultures, primarily from the Hellenic world. The routes Alexander the Great took while on conquest remained linked by trade for centuries after he left. This depiction of the Buddha shows that influence in the soft overall oval-shape of the face and its well defined straight nose, arch of the brows, and heavily lidded eyes. It most likely would have been situated in a niche of a temple, with the back left unfinished either as an attachment for a halo or directly into the wall of the niche.