A GREY SCHIST STANDING BUDDHAAncient region of Gandhara, 3rd-4th centuryThe figure dressed with an ample and elegantly draped sanghati, the head turned slightly to the right, the wavy hair finely sculpted to support the usnisa protuberance, between the shoulders and the head a large circular halo.45 cm highProvenance: Italian private collection.Sculptures depicting the Buddha similar to this one, certainly represent the most famous subject of Gandhara art. Made a little later than the icons of Mathura, the Buddha of the Gandhara region are distinguished by a formal elegance that is already 'classical', imbued as it is with the stylistic elements of the Greek and Roman statuary, in a mixture of influences and cultural references that mark a particularly important moment in the evolution of world history.* The present lot is offered with export license.