Gandhara, bodhisattvas (21)

In Gandharan art the bodhisattvas with a princely appearance are Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, and Prince Siddhartha. Vajrapani is usually featured as the protector of the Buddha, often depicted like an elderly man with long hair and a beard, dressed in a loin cloth and sometimes an upper garment. 

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, stone, 32,5 cm, Auction 1235 lot 1, 8th December 2023, Lempertz

Maitreya is identified by the lotus-shaped water pot he holds by the neck, either with his left hand or with both.

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, Seated Bodhisattva, schist, object nº AC 1974.1, photo on Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Massachussetts (USA).

Avalokiteshvara holds an open lotus, either in his left hand or in both.

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, schist, 123,8 cm, Indian & Southeast Art from the MacLean Collection, lot 359, 20th September 2021, Sotheby’s

When standing, Prince Siddhartha often has his left hand on his hip and the right one raised in the gesture of reassurance. 

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Narrative Relief, schist, 20,7 cm, photo by Joan Anastasia Raducha, NG454 on Nimogram

Vajrapani usually stands near the Buddha, holding a large upright vajra sceptre in one of his hands.

Gandhara, seated bodhisattvas (2)

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, seated bodhisattva, schist, 41,5 cm, private collection, Dharma and Tantra lot 157, 18th September 2023, Sotheby’s

In Gandharan art, when Maitreya has both hands in the gesture of meditation he holds a ritual water pot by the neck. This bodhisattva has no attribute in his hands – instead, a small water pot is placed at the front of his throne – thus leaving a doubt as to whether this is Maitreya or Prince Siddhartha.

4th-6th century, Gandhara, Prince Siddhartha with Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara, terracotta, 63 cm, private collection, Fine Chinese Art lot 215, 30th September 2022, Galerie Zacke

Prince Siddhartha is seated in a pensive mood, with his right hand against his head and the left one against his hip. The elephant at his feet is perhaps an allusion to the ‘taming of the elephant’ episode, although this event is supposed to have taken place once Siddhartha had become a buddha. Maitreya, to his right, is identified by the ritual water pot he holds by the neck in his left hand. Avalokiteshvara, on the other side, would normally hold a lotus in his left hand, but in a triad the main attribute is often held on the side nearest to the central character. It is not clear whether his left hand clutches a piece of his garment (which would be very unusual) or a garland of flowers. There are two celestial garland-bearers (vidyadharas) above the prince’s shoulders.

3rd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva Padmapani (Avalokiteshvara), schist, exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Art, photo on Gary Stockbridge

The large lotus in his left hand suggests that this princely figure seated with a leg pendent and the foot placed on a stool is Avalokiteshvara. The lion throne is most unusual in Gandharan sculpture.

Gandhara, the exchange of clothes

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Siddhartha, the exchange of clothes, green schist, 24,7 cm high, Gandharan Buddhist Art from the Collection of a Prince lot 225, 20th September 2007, Christie’s.

Siddhartha Gautama offers his princely garments to a hunter in exchange for his modest clothes.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Siddhartha, the exchange of clothes, schist, 32,7 cm, the Claude de Marteau Collection Part III, lot 38, 12th June 2023, Bonhams (Paris).

On this panel he is flanked by Vajrapani, who holds a large vajra sceptre in his left hand.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Nimogram, Siddhartha, the exchange of clothes, schist, from a photo by Joan Anastasia Raducha on Nimogram

Gandhara, Vajrapani (7)

2nd-4th century, Gandhara, Vajrapani and a pair of Buddha’s disciples, schist, 24,7 cm, private collection, Buddhist Art Online lot 9, 10th August 2021, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

In Gandharan sculpture the bodhisattva Vajrapani is often depicted near the Buddha, along with other figures. In this case he stands to the left of the main figure now missing and holds his attribute in the left hand; the disciples are probably Maudgalyayana and Shariputra, who usually stand together and may have held a bowl in their left hand and a khakkhara staff in the other.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Vajrapani and devotees, schist, 17 cm, private collection, photo as before, lot 5.

4th century, Gandhara, ‘Vajrapani holding vajra sceptre’ , schist, 17,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art at Bruun Rasmussen lot 32, 29th November 2022, Bonhams (Copenhagen).

Gandhara, standing figures

Gandhara period, Shabaz-Garhi, bodhisattva, schist, 120 cm, photo Thierry Ollivier on Images d’Art , inventory nº AO2907 at the Musée Guimet in Paris (Francia).

The left hand on the hip and the right hand in the fear-allaying gesture suggest we are looking at Prince Siddhartha, adorned with a crested turban and the sort of jewellery worn by bodhisattvas, including necklaces and beads that go across the chest and over the right shoulder.

30-365 CE, Gandhara, bodhisattva, schist, scan nº 10247 on Huntington Archive , at the Taxila Museum (Pakistan).

This is probably Prince Siddhartha under a parasol, a small female attendant standing to his left, and another two figures emerging from behind his shoulders.

2nd century, Gandhara, divine garland bearer, schist, 60,96 cm, inventory nº 47.8.13 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA).

Gandhara, seated bodhisattvas

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, schist, 33 cm, image nº 21796 on VMIS, at the CSMVS museum in Mumbai (India).

In Gandharan art, figures with a princely appearance are often prince Siddhartha, Avalokiteshvara, or Maitreya, and any of them may be seated on a throne with their legs crossed at the ankle as above. When the hands are making the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture we are probably looking at Maitreya, who usually has his hair tied in a single or double topknot held with a beaded ribbon (while prince Siddhartha wears an elaborate crested turban).

3rd century, Gandhara, Maitreya, dark green schist, 28 cm, inventory nº 35-300 at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City (USA).

2nd-4th century, Afghanistan, Gandharan style bodhisattva in meditation, stucco with traces of polychromy, 51 cm, inventory nº 1978.102 at the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA).

This may be prince Siddhartha.

Gandhara, Maitreya – standing

2nd century, Gandhara, Maitreya, schist, 47 cm, private collection, Indian, Himalayan and South East Asian Art lot 86, 31st October 2000, Christie’s (Amsterdam).

Maitreya is identified by the lotus-shape water pot he holds by the neck in his left hand. Very few Gandharan statues depict him with an  upper garment that covers most of his chest (and his hair gathered in a bun rather than a topknot).

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Maitreya, schist, 102 cm, private collection, photo on Christie’s

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, perhaps Maitreya, schist, private collection, photo on Christie’s (Amsterdam).

The gesture of his right hand is unusual, yet the water pot in his other hand and the double-loop topknot suggest that we are looking at the buddha-to-be, accompanied by an attendant standing by his left shoulder.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, grey schist, 78 cm, private collection, photo on Christie’s (Paris).

Maitreya standing on a pedestal with large five-petal lotus flowers around it, the large aureole behind his head featuring a female and a male devotee on individual lotuses (probably the donors).

Undated, Gandhara, Maitreya, schist, 83,5 cm, photo Daniel Arnaudet, item MG26351 at the Musée des Arts asiatiques Guimet in Paris (France).

In most cases the uttasaranga is worn loosely at the front and over the right arm, wrapping only the left shoulder and arm.

Gandhara, bodhisattvas (20)

In the art of Gandhara bodhisattvas are either Avalokithesvara, who holds a lotus flower (or a garland according to Edward Wilkinson ), usually in his left hand, when depicted as a main figure, Maitreya, who holds a water pot, usually in his left hand, Vajrapani, who always holds a large vajra sceptre in either hand, and prince Siddhartha, who occasionally holds a bunch of flowers, or a scarf containing flowers.

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Pakistan (Gandhara), bodhisattva, grey schist, photo on Huntington Archive , at the Bharat Kala Bavan Museum in Varanasi (India).

When seated, prince Siddhartha often has both hands in the gesture of meditation and no attribute in them. On this handsome example he wears a moustache, his usual cockaded turban, and the full range of princely ornaments (including a choker, a medium-length necklace, a longer one going across his right shoulder, a string of amulets boxes) plus an extra necklace, with a large bead resting on his right shoulder.

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Swat Dt., Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, (Gandhara culture), bodhisattva in meditation, stone, scan nº 4880 in the Huntington Archive, item nº 4979 at the Indian Museum in Kolkata (India).

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (Gandhara culture), bodhisattva, grey schist, photo on Huntington Archive , at the National Museum in Karachi (Pakistan).

When standing, he often has his left hand against his hip and the right hand raised in the fear-allaying gesture (unless there is an effigy of Amitabha in his headdress, in which case we are looking at Avalokiteshvara as an attendant). On this example he also has a moustache and five ornaments around his neck. He usually wears sandals.

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (Gandhara culture), bodhisattva, grey schist, photo on Huntington Archive , at the Central Archaeological Museum in Lahore (Pakistan).

The above (Siddhartha or Avalokiteshvara?) has a garland of flowers in his left hand. The scene on the pedestal depicts him seated, his hands in the gesture of meditation, flanked by two attendants.

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (Gandhara culture), bodhisattva, grey schist, photo  on Huntington Archive , at the National Museum in Karachi (Pakistan).

Circa mid-1st – mid-3rd century, Sahri Bahlol, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, (Gandhara culture), Siddhartha? (labelled ‘bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara’), stone, scan nº 4923 in the Huntington Archive, at the Indian Museum in Kolkata (India).

Gandhara, Maitreya (11)

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Maitreya, grey schist, 52,70 cm, at the Denver Art Museum (USA).

 

2nd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, stone, at the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad in Kolkata (India). Photo on VMIS

The future buddha holds a flask by the neck with his left hand, the other was probably raised to make the fear-allaying gesture.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, Maitreya, schist, at the CSMVS (Chhatrapati Shivaji museum) in Mumbai, photo on VMIS

3rd century, Gandhara, Swat District, Maitreya, schist, photo by Rama on wikimedia , at the Musée Guimet in Paris (France).

He may also hold it with both hands. His hair is arranged in a double-loop topknot tied with a beaded string. There is a halo behind his head.

Gandhara, bodhisattvas (10)

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, bodhisattvas with attendants, schist, photo by Daderot , at the Matsuoka Museum of Art in Tokyo (Japan).

The large princely figure standing with a water pot in his left hand is Maitreya, the future buddha, who would have made the fear-allaying gesture with his right hand. Most of his hair is gathered in a top knot fastened with a beaded accessory. The buddha in the niche at the top is probably Shakyamuni, the historical buddha, flanked by a kneeling attendant holding a vase and maybe a fly whisk. Below, the figure with a crested turban may be prince Siddhartha, seated with his legs crossed and making the preaching gesture. The other characters are attendants or devotees.

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, rock crystal, private collection, photo on Gauchet2018 Collection lot 4.

The above is described by the auction house as holding a kamandalu (a roundish water pot with a handle), although the shape and texture rather look like a folded garland – which corresponds to prince Siddhartha (or Avalokiteshvara if there is an effigy of Amitabha in his headdress). He appears to be wearing some form of footwear.

3rd-4th century, Gandhara, probably from Barikot, seated bodhisattva, schist, photo on Daderot at the Matsuoka Museum of Art in Tokyo (Japan).

The flower in his left hand usually corresponds to Avalokiteshvara, although the gesture of the right hand is unusual for him.

2nd-3rd century, Gandhara, bodhisattva, schist, item 18860319.1 at the British Museum in London (UK).

In Gandharan sculpture, Avalokiteshvara often holds a lotus flower downwards while having both hands in the meditation gesture.