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Fondukistan: Ghorband Valley, Post-Gandhara sculpture, terracotta Bodhisattva

Date

Authors

Rowland, Benjamin

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Description

Decorations of Sasanian style were found in an isolated monastery at Fondukistan in association with fragments of sculpture probably belonging to the very last period of Buddhism in Afghanistan, approx, 7th cent. A.D. This TERRACOTTA BODHISATTVA shows the degree to which a completely Indian style has at the last replaced a completely the earlier reliance on Classical and Iranian prototypes, This image is in a way a sculptural counterpart of the Indian forms in paintings at Bamiyan, The perfect realization of this entirely relaxed and warmly voluptuous body, sunk in sensuous reverie, is as exquisite as anything to be found in the art of Gupta India, The modelling, its definition of softness of flesh and precision of ornament, is only the final and entirely typical accomplishment of a tradition going back to the beginnings of Indian art,

Citation

Source

Type

Archives Series

Basham Collection

Date created

1953

Access Statement

License Rights

This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.

DOI

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