100-300 AD. Gandharan (or later) bronze sculpture of Buddha. He sits high upon a throne, holding the palm of his left hand in the air and the right one resting on his leg. He wears a simple monastic robe that clings to his legs, showing his bare chest. Incised lines has been added to suggest the folds of the cloth. The head is topped by an elaborate crown. Gandhara was an ancient region in the Peshawar basin in the north-west of the ancient Indian subcontinent (modern north-west Pakistan and South-east Afghanistan). The Kushan period (c. 75-451 AD) of Gandharan art, to which this figure belongs, was the golden age of artistic production in the area. Provenance: From the private collection of Mr. R. Unger; previously with a London gallery; acquired in before 2000 on the UK art market. Size: L:145mm / W:88mm ; 440g