Western Qin Dynasty, 385-431 AD. A gilt-bronze statuette, influenced by the Gandharan style or that of the neighbouring Uddiyana region, of Shakyamuni Buddha kneeling on a tiered podium, aureole to the rear; inscribed legend to the reverse of the aureole, the inscription mentions the 'Tripitaka Master', the 'Buddha Disciple' and to 'arouse the vow' and asks 'to improve human welfare, and to save all beings from the sea of suffering and erase calamity'; donors to the legs of the podium. See Dr. Naiki, S., Similarities and Differences in Gandharan Sculptures Among Regions, Thursday 22nd to Friday 23rd March 2018, The Geography of Gandharan Art: 2nd Workshop of the Gandhara Connections Project, Classical Art Research Centre, University of Oxford. Exhibited: Out of Uddiyana. An exhibition at Tibet House New York, From the Buckingham collections, exhibit TB008, p.59 & 160; accompanied by copies of the relevant exhibition catalogue pages. 355 grams, 14.1cm (5 1/2"). Acquired for the ‘Buckingham Collection’ by the late Nik Douglas (1944-2012), renowned author, curator and Asian art expert; the collection formed from the early 1960s to early 1970s; displayed at the major exhibition ‘The Buddha Image: Out of Uddiyana’, Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street, New York, 16 September-20 October 2010, extended to 16 November and again to 7 January 2011; where the collection of one hundred pieces was publicly valued at US$ 15M; this piece was scheduled to be included in an exhibition titled ‘On the Silk Route; Birth of The Buddha’, to be held in London from November 2012, but sadly his death prevented this; accompanied by copies of several press releases and articles for the exhibition, including Artnet News, This Week in New York, Huffpost, Buddhist Art News, and copies of the relevant London and Tibet House exhibition catalogue pages, which dates the piece on artistic grounds to the Early Wei period, circa 5th century AD, and a transcription of the Chinese characters inscribed on the piece; recent translation of the previously undeciphered inscription suggests a more precise date range of 385-431 AD, Western Qin era; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10447-169027. Gandhara was a principal gateway through which Buddhism spread to China. Academic research conducted after the death of Nik Douglas (above) explains that Gandharan sculpture has been found in neighbouring regions, such as in Uddiyana. Sculpture from the Gandharan and Uddiyana regions has similar characteristics and as a result has often remained undifferentiated. As a result of this recent research however, it is becoming more feasible to identify distinctions between the sculpture of these different regions. [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]