Rare Gandharan Gray Schist Wall Decoration – Woman- Lot 81f, Auction 5/9/2019
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Rare Gandharan Gray Schist Wall Decoration – Woman- Lot 81f, Auction 5/9/2019

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Central Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Gandharan Empire, ca. 200 BCE to 100 CE. A sensuous grey stone carving of a woman, perhaps a dancer or musician, whose upper body projects outward from a long, conical base that would have been set into a wall, probably in a stupa or royal piece of architecture. The woman’s body is youthful, with a well-defined face and large, perky breasts. She wears a multitude of necklaces, each large bead individually carved by the artisan who created the piece. In her hands, she holds an ovoid disc – perhaps a musical instrument of some kind. The architecture of Gandhara combined local characteristics – such as this woman’s manner of dress – with western aesthetics inspired by cultural contact from the period of Alexander the Great, evidenced by the naturalistic form of the sculpture. Size: 2.4″ W x 4.05″ H (6.1 cm x 10.3 cm); 5.35″ H (13.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Condition: Missing part of one arm, with a repair to the shoulder; the other arm also has been repaired at wrist and shoulder. The repairs are well done and difficult to see. The end that was designed to be inserted into the wall is rough hewn. Excellent preservation of detail on the woman’s face and body.

Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s

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