Head of a Bodhisattva or Deity
4th-5th century
Asia: Pakistan; Asia: Afghanistan; Asia: Gandhara
Not on View

This head exhibits an elaborate hairstyle with a turban and cascading locks, likely depicting a bodhisattva or a related deity. Similar figures have been discovered from ancient Gandhara, a region in Northwestern Pakistan that produced some of the earliest known Buddhist art. In this example, traces of paint on the stucco surface reveal a dot on the forehead (urna), red lips, lowered eyelids and black irises indicating that the work would have been quite colorful. The downcast eyes and gentle smile further suggest that the figure is a benevolent god.

Details

  • Title: Head of a Bodhisattva or Deity
  • Date: 4th-5th century
  • Medium: Polychromed stucco
  • Dimensions: 6-1/4 in. (15.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
  • Accession Number: F.1976.05.10.S
  • Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation

Object Information

  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent, 2003, no. 33 p. 66
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1347 p. 397

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