120-121 / 176
121
120
57
TORSO OF BUDDHA
ANDHRA PRADESH,
CIRCA 3
RD
CENTURY
Limestone
26.75 in (68.2 cm) high
Rs 25,00,000 - 35,00,000
$ 37,315 - 52,240
NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
PROVENANCE
Property of a Distinguished Gentleman,
Mumbai
The Great Stupa at Amaravati, in what is now Andhra
Pradesh, was one of the most important Buddhist
sites in India from the Mauryan period. The stupa
was located on the banks of the Krishna river, close
to the ancient city of Dharanikota. The kings of
the Satavahana dynasty were instrumental in the
refurbishing of the Great Stupa between the 1
st
and
3rd centuries AD. Limestone was shipped upriver and
used for much of the building.
Dharanikota was an important port city and part
of the ancient trade route between Europe, the
Middle East, South and Southeast Asia. The influence
of interactions between these cultures is seen in
the sculpture and architecture from this region.
“It combined a highly original sculptural aesthetic
with extraordinary craftsmanship...” (Robert Knox,
Amaravati: Buddhist Sculpture from the Great Stupa
,
London: British Museum Press, 1992, p. 9) Sculptures
of the Buddha and the Boddhisatvas from Amaravati
were unique in their expression, though Greco–
Roman influences could be seen in the treatment of
the drapery.
“The development of the Amaravati style of
sculpture and the changing character of Buddhist
doctrine in the Andhradesa are issues of great
importance... The stupa at Amaravati... fulfilled
a spiritual and an aesthetic, civilising role as a
centre of religion and as one of the greatest
artistic achievements of its time.” (Knox, p. 9)
Being concurrent with the Gandhara style in the
northwestern region of India, there are similarities
in the treatment and carving of the folds and
drapery, but the Buddhist sculptures in Amaravati
retained a distinctly regional style.
Map of India showing the location of Amaravati from Robert
Knox,
Amaravati: Buddhist Sculpture from the Great Stupa
,
London: British Museum Press, 1992, p. 8