Sculpture thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
The Himalayas and South-East Asia, Room 47a

Sculpture

6th century-7th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The site of Pambarvan, near Akhnur, appears to have been a Buddhist stupa site. Sixth century Gupta coins have been found, together with the terracotta remains of sculptural decorations, most notably a series of terracotta heads. Although the region has close links with the plains of northern India and the prevailing post-gupta style, the remains reveal other influences. The realism of these terracottas and the use of applique decoration link them to Gandharan sites, like Taxila, which prospered until their decimation in the late 5th or early 6th century. Displaced artists from the north-west were probably responsible for the late survival of the Gandharan style in the Jammu-Kashmir region.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Terracotta
Brief description
Female Head, terracotta, 6th-7th century, Gandharan style, Jammu, India
Physical description
The site of Pambarvan, near Akhnur, appears to have been a Buddhist stupa site. Sixth century Gupta coins have been found, together with the terracotta remains of sculptural decorations, most notably a series of terracotta heads. Although the region has close links with the plains of northern India and the prevailing post-gupta style, the remains reveal other influences. The realism of these terracottas and the use of applique decoration link them to Gandharan sites, like Taxila, which prospered until their decimation in the late 5th or early 6th century. Displaced artists from the north-west were probably responsible for the late survival of the Gandharan style in the Jammu-Kashmir region.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5in
  • Width: 4in
Style
Gallery label
2. Female Head, possibly of a Buddhist Donor 500–700 When Buddhist monasteries in Gandhara were destroyed by Huna invaders in about AD 450–500, some craftsmen seem to have moved into the Jammu-Kashmir region. This head is part of the terracotta decoration found at a Buddhist stupa site in Jammu. Its realism and the use of appliqué decoration link it to earlier art of the Gandharan period. Terracotta Northern India Excavated at Pambarvan, near Akhnur, Jammu Museum no. IS.138-1961(06/06/2011)
Object history
Purchased from Mrs. M. Gordon, St. Andrews Lodge, Hingham, Norfolk for £110.
Production
Akhnur, Jammu, India (north)
Subject depicted
Bibliographic references
  • C. Fabri: Akhnur Terracottas, Marg Vol.8, No.2, pp.53-64. Moti Chandra, Terracotta Heads from Akhnur, Bulletin of the Prince of Wales Museum, No.12 (1973), pp.54-57. A. Poster,From Indian Earth, Boston 1985.
  • Irwin, John C., Indian Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1968 pl. 4a
Collection
Accession number
IS.138-1961

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Record createdFebruary 13, 2000
Record URL
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