On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Head of a Bodhisattva

Sculpture
3rd century-5th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Peshawar (made)

A head of a Bodhisattva. The hair is tied up with a chignon and is decorated with jewellery in the form of bands clasped together at the front by a stupa. The face is surrounded by ringlets (broken on the left hand side) and looks to the left. The lips show signs of the original pigmentation.

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Buddhism
Object type
Sculpture
TitleHead of a Bodhisattva (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Stucco
Brief description
Head of a Bodhisattva, 3rd/4th century, stucco, NWFP, Gandhara
Physical description
A head of a Bodhisattva. The hair is tied up with a chignon and is decorated with jewellery in the form of bands clasped together at the front by a stupa. The face is surrounded by ringlets (broken on the left hand side) and looks to the left. The lips show signs of the original pigmentation.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19cm
Gallery label
(06/06/2011)
13. Head of a Bodhisattva
300–500
A bodhisattva is a saviour who delays his own nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment. He is always depicted in princely dress as a sign of his attachment to the world. His features are often gentle to show his compassionate nature.
Lime composition with traces of polychrome
Gandhara/North-west Pakistan (Peshawar)
Bequeathed by Prof. Benjamin Rowland, through The Art Fund
Museum no. IS.12-1974
Credit line
Bequeathed by Prof. Benjamin Rowland, through The Art Fund
Object history
Prof. B.Rowland bequest- through the NACF.
Production
Peshawar region, Gandhara, Pakistan.
Subject depicted
Buddhism
Bibliographic references
  • B. Rowland, "Zentralasien" (Kunst der Welt series) 1970, p.41
  • Skelton, Robert. 'The Indian Collections: 1798 to 1978' in The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXX, number 902, May 1978, pp. 297-304, Fig. 1 and p. 304.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.12-1974

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Record createdJune 13, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O65822/head-of-a-bodhisattva-sculpture-unknown/
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