Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Pashto: ګندارا, Urdu: گندھارا) was an ancient kingdom in the Swat and Kabul river valleys and the Pothohar Plateau, in modern-day states of northern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan. Its main cities were Purushapura (modern Peshawar), literally meaning city of men,and Takshashila (modern Taxila). The Kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the Vedic period (c. 1500-500 BC). As a center of Buddhist culture, it attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Kushan Kings. The Persian term Shahi is used by history writer Al-Biruni to refer to the ruling dynasty that took over from the Kabul Shahi[5] and ruled the region during the period prior to Muslim conquests of the 10th and 11th centuries. After it was conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1021 AD, the name Gandhara disappeared. During the Muslim period the area was administered from Lahore or from Kabul. During Mughal times the area was part of Kabul province. The Sculptures that I am selling have been mounted onto Stands and date from the 1st to 5th Century AD. They were collected in Kabul during the early 1970s while on local government contract. Brief Introduction to Gandharan Art from the 1st-5th Centuries AD. General Information is cited to Ghandara in Australia. The art and sculpture of the region that has come to be known as Gandhara combines Hellenistic or Graeco-Roman artistic techniques and modelling with Indian Buddhist iconography to create a recognisably Indian hybrid. Probably using artists imported initially from west Asia. By the end of the 1st century these aesthetic traditions had developed into a recognisable Gandharan style. Sculpture in stone, usually Schist, are considered to predate those made from Stucco although both materials were used from an early date. Gandharan artists were concerned with the naturalistic modelling and the rendering of garments and embellishment in realistic detail compared with the closely related school of Mathura 800km to the south east in present day India, whose main medium was the much softer Red sandstone. Alexander the Greats expedition into India in 330-325BC was an influential factor on the introduction of Hellenism into the region. Few traces remain of this early Hellenistic civilisation due to continual invasions throughout this time. Gandhara probably flourished under the united banner of Buddhism helped by kings such as Asoka showing a great tolerance and interest this religion. Gandhara occupied a large area of what today are North West India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, traversed by ancient roads linking India with China, Tibet and West Asia. The dominant characteristics of this school were Hellenistic and strongly related to Asian provinces of the Roman Empire. This Area was the Eastern most region of the ancient world influenced by classical aesthetics, and the first to portray the Buddha in human form, until this time only symbolic iconography was used to symbolise the enlightened one. These Gandharan relief fragments offered for sale by Gandhara, were probably part of larger reliefs that decorated a stupa or other Buddhist religious structures. All Gandharan sculpture sold here is professionally mounted on custom made stands. Due to age Gandharan sculpture has unavoidable chips in some areas, erosion and sometimes soil encrustation, these thing are clearly stated within the item description. All our pieces are Guaranteed authentic works of art dating from the Gandhara period 1st - 5th Centuries AD.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 22:32:01 +0000
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