100-300 AD. Gandharan. Superb black stone torso of a bodhisattva, with elaborate coiffure featuring a topknot (Ushnisha), elaborate headpiece, heavy, lowered eyelids, elegant nose, long, undulating moustache, closed mouth, strong chin and elongated, pendular ears. He is bare chested while an intricate necklace rests on his upper torso. His identity as a bodhisattva is established by the presence of a well-defined urna on his forehead. Together, these details create a majestic impression of a bodhisattva or individual who is able to reach nirvana (enlightenment) but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings. The back is rough and unfinished, suggesting this piece was originally placed in an architectural setting. Gandhara was an ancient region in the Peshawar basin in the north-west of the ancient Indian subcontinent. The Kushan period (c. 75-451 AD) of Gandharan art, to which this head belongs, was the golden age of artistic production in the area. Provenance: From an important private London Collection (H.G); previously acquired in Paris in 2006. Formerly in the collection of Alain Kottlar since 1960s. Size: L:670mm / W:310mm ; 36kg