TÊTE DE BOUDDHA EN SCHISTE ANCIENNE RÉGION DU GANDHARA, III/IVE SIÈCLE 24 cm (9 1/2 in.) high Footnotes: A SCHIST HEAD OF BUDDHA ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 3RD/4TH CENTURY 犍陀羅 三/四世紀 片岩佛首 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Confidently carved, the Buddha's wavy locks, pulled over the ushnisha, convey the master sculptor's pursuit of realism inspired by Greco-Roman aesthetics. The facial features are remarkably well preserved, including the faintly outlined pupils of his heavy lidded eyes. The soft cheeks, fleshy lower lip, and the ears remain wonderfully modelled with precise contours and thick lobes. Compare a closely related example sold at Christie's, New York, 19 March 2013, lot 201. Further comparison can be made with the head of a standing Buddha in the British Museum (Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, Vol. I , 1996, p. 10, no. 3), showing a similar treatment of the hair, and a calm, nuanced expression. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com