Buddha head. Gandhara, 3rd or 4th century AD.

Buddha head. Gandhara, 3rd or 4th century AD.
Stucco with traces of polychrome. Marble base.
Provenance: Jan Adler collection, 1960s-70s (pieces in the British Museum, London). Invoice Nov. 1998.
Bibliography:
- De l'Indus à l'Oxus. Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale, edited by O. Bopearachchi, C. Landes and C. Sachs, nos. 241-244.
- Association IMAGO - Musée de Lattes, Lattes, 2003.
Measurements: 48 cm (sculpture); 73 cm (total height with base).

This Buddha's head, modeled in stucco, is a fragment of a monumental sculpture of exceptional workmanship. The piece stands out for the remarkable preservation of its original polychromy. The hair, of a dark and dense tone, presents a modeling of soft undulations that converge towards the u????a. In the center of the forehead, the ?r?? in relief-attribute characteristic of the Buddha as mah?puru?a or Great Being-maintains the same pigmentation as the hair. The physiognomy is defined by a narrow forehead that gives way to sharp-edged eyebrows, under which are set eyes with rounded volumes and prominent upper eyelids. The nose, with a straight and sharp profile, harmonizes with a mouth of pierced corners where the lower lip, thicker, retains a delicate pinkish red tone. The whole, topped by a firm chin and elongated ear lobes, shows a clear aesthetic affiliation with the Hadda masters.

The Gandhara Buddhas are one of the most fascinating manifestations of art history, representing the first visual contact between East and West. This artistic style, known as Greco-Buddhist art, emerged between the 1st and 5th centuries AD in the Gandhara region (now between Pakistan and Afghanistan).