Head of Buddha

Gandharan Buddhist art was made in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India between the 2nd and 4th centuries. It was strongly influenced by Greco-Roman art, partly through the influence of Alexander the Great’s followers in this area and partly through later trade contacts with the Roman Empire. Thus the bodies of Buddhist holy figures have a Mediterranean plasticity and tactile modeling. Even their clothes are similar to Greek and Roman costumes, but their sculptural effect is one of inwardness and otherworldliness, in keeping with Buddhist doctrine. This Buddha head looks very Greek in its pure oval forms, but the closed eyes suggest meditation and enlightenment. The elongated earlobes, stretched by wearing heavy jewelry, express Prince Siddhartha Gautama’s royal rank.