Lot 275, A gray schist figure of Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. Estimate $80,000 – $120,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Standing on a base centered by a diminutive image of the seated Buddha with attendants and columns, dressed in asanghati flowing over both shoulders and his dhoti visible below, the face with bow-shaped mouth and heavy-lidded eyes, the wavy locks of hair pulled over the ushnisha - 38 in. (96.5 cm.) high

Provenance: Private collection, New Jersey, acquired from Sotheby's, New York, 19 September 1996, lot 129

Notes: This figure of a bodhisattva is beautifully carved, with the drapery revealing the masterful modeling of the body beneath. This naturalistic attention to drapery is characteristic of the Gandharan period and drawn from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region. The figure's left knee is slightly bent, as if he has just taken a step forward, conveying a subtle yet powerful sense of moving closer to the viewer.

For a similar example, see W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, pl.9. The physiognomy is similarly carved; the proportions of the facial features are alike and the legs are modeled in the round beneath the drapery, with low bellies that protrude slightly. Although the present figure has lotuses on the side of the base instead of a floral design bordering the front, the configuration of the bases is strikingly similar. The present figure, carved with finer delineation, stands with elegant poise.

Christie's. INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 15 March 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza