Near East, Northwest Pakistan, Gandhara, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A very rare section of a stone stele incised with a Gandharan Buddhist allegorical written script, framed with a wonderfully detailed floral and geometric border. This piece was most likely from the base of a Buddhist shrine. An unusual piece from ancient Gandhara, a region whose visual culture displayed a rich blend of East and West, as in 330 BCE Alexander the Great conquered Gandhara, and with the help of the Indo-Greek kings introduced classical traditions that would influence Gandharan art for the following seven centuries. Size: 15" L (38.1 cm)
Provenance: Formerly in a French collection acquired in the 1950's to 1960's from the Drouot Auction House in Paris; ex-Ancient Art International, FL
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