Preaching Buddha
Pakistan (Ancient region of Gandhara)
3rd century
- Medium
- Schist
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Dimensions
- 108 × 59.7 × 25.4 cm (42 1/2 × 23 1/2 × 10 in.)
- Culture
- Gandhara
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of Asia
- Credit line
- Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
This Buddha statue comes from the ancient region of Gandhara (present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan), known for its unique artistic style combining both Greek and Indian elements. Here the Buddha wears a monastic robe wrapped tightly around his left arm in a manner similar to togas worn by senators of the Roman Republic. But his hairstyle — tight “snail shell” curls — was characteristic of Buddha images made in Mathura (present-day northern India). These details were likely carried from one place to another by artists following royal courts across vast empires or sent on diplomatic missions to foreign lands.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
