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Expert’s note:
This is one of the few instances in which the schist displays clearly visible mineral surface erosion, revealing the stone’s geological structure in a way that is unmistakable. Schist, being a metamorphic rock characterized by its foliated structure and layered mineral composition, naturally weathers along these planes over long periods. The gradual breakdown of mica and other mineral components results in a subtle flaking and textural softening of the surface.
Yet despite this geological transformation, the artistic integrity of the sculpture remains entirely intact. The contours, carving logic, and spiritual presence of the figure are fully preserved. The natural weathering and the sculptor’s original vision now exist in quiet dialogue, the passage of time enhancing rather than diminishing the work — a convergence of geology and artistry that cannot be replicated.
Superbly carved, depicted seated in meditation upon a cushioned throne, the front decorated with a further image of the Buddha flanked by two attendants, with the hands resting upon the lap in dhyana mudra. The figure is clad in a voluminous sanghati, with richly carved folds covering both shoulders and cascading elegantly before the legs. The serene face bears heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes beneath gently arched brows, centered by a raised circular urna, together with a slender nose and full lips forming a subtle smile, all framed by long, pendulous earlobes. The magnificently rendered, wavy hair is elegantly arranged in a high chignon and framed by a circular halo.
Provenance: Collection of Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, Italy. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somaré art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is being run by his two sons.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, obvious losses, structural fissures, smoothed chips, few minor old fills. The stone with a superb, naturally grown patina.
Weight: 38.8 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 66.5 cm (excl. stand), 67.2 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated metal stand. (2)
This sculpture depicts the Buddha in deep meditation, seated upon a simple cushion. The naturalistic folds of the robe gather, overlap, and fall loosely across the muscular torso, creating a dramatic visual contrast between their busy negotiations and the stillness of his expression. Two Buddhist devotees flank the Buddha before the platform, completing an iconographic arrangement characteristic of Gandharan representations of the Buddha.
Beneath a finely articulated mass of wavy locks, the face is softly modeled, with full, rounded features. The pronounced arches of the brows reflect the gradual tendency towards abstraction in Gandharan sculpture between the third and fifth centuries (see Kurt A. Behrendt, The Art of Gandhara, 2013, p. 68-72). The composed and introspective expression also accords with this chronology, conveying a state of spiritual transcendence beyond the material world.
With universal appeal among collectors, the Gandharan style is a fascinating and accomplished idiom, testament to the cross-cultural origins and early spread of Buddhist art. Created by ateliers working in the Greco-Roman style that populated the region following Alexander the Great's invasion of modern-day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Western China in 327 BCE, they drew on Mediterranean sculptural traditions when catering to the demand from local Buddhist communities for carved stone monuments and iconic statuary. The Gandharan style, in turn, formed the precedent for the earliest Buddhist images in China, via contact and exchange across Central Asian trade routes.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Gandharan schist figure of Buddha, dated 2nd-3rd century, 58.7 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1913,1108.18. Compare a closely related Gandharan schist figure of Buddha, dated 3rd-4th century, 75 cm high, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IS.108-2001.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 December 2020, lot 1032
Mid-Estimate: HKD 2,500,000 or approx. EUR 300,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A schist figure of Buddha, Ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd-4th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the larger size (89 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 March 2015, lot 4015
Price: USD 137,000 or approx. EUR 166,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray schist figure of a seated Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and size (67.2 cm).
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