Galerie Golconda

Head of a Bodhisattva in dark grey schist, sculpted in the round. The aristocratic, Western-type face is serene, with a long mustache and grand earrings. The hairstyle is composed of a skilful chignon that is surmounted by a tuft, which would have been adorned with jewels during that time. The art of Gandhãra was born on Indian soil and served the religious teachings of Buddhism. It appropriated iconographic elements from the religious repertory of Buddha and skilfully combined them with the sculptural techniques imported from Europe by the Greek soldiers of Macedonia and then Bactria, who made up the armies of Alexander the Great. It was during this period that the first human images of Buddha appeared, in accordance with the Greek belief that considered and depicted the gods as men. This art testifies to the theological evolutions that required new images of devotion to serve as spiritual support.