Gandharan art: the first images of the Buddha
Around the turn of the era — by most datings in the 1st century AD — Buddhist sculptors in north-western India began to show the Buddha in human form rather than by symbols alone. In Gandhara, where Buddhism met Hellenistic art, the Buddha received a Greek-style robe and wavy hair; the style later spread to Central Asia and, with Buddhism, as far as Japan.
- Date
- between 30 BC and AD 100exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Gandhara (Peshawar Valley)approximate locationtoday: Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan · South Asia
- Participants
- Kushan Empire
- Threads
- South Asia (1st–5th c.)
- Also known as
- Greco-Buddhist art; Gandhara school; Graeco-Buddhist art; Греко-буддистское искусство; Гандхарская школа
Early Buddhist art was aniconic: the Buddha was represented by symbols rather than in human form. Human images of him appear around the turn of the era and are usually dated from the 1st century AD. One of the earliest is on the gold reliquary from a stupa at Bimaran near Jalalabad, now in the British Museum, though its date is disputed — from the late 1st century BC to about AD 60 or even later. The Mathura school of northern India created its own Buddha images; they are generally dated slightly later than those of Gandhara, but the question of priority is still debated.
Gandharan sculptors dressed the Buddha in a toga-like himation, gave him wavy hair apparently modelled on Greek statues such as the Apollo Belvedere and used the contrapposto stance of classical sculpture; they worked in stone and stucco. The school flourished mainly under the Kushans and reached its height in the 3rd–5th centuries. It spread to Central Asia, where it shaped the art of the Tarim Basin, and with Buddhism its influence reached as far as Japan.
Connections
Related events
- The burials of Tillya Tepe (the Bactrian Gold)between 16 and 100 · Central and Northern Asiaone grave held an Indian coin with a figure turning a wheel, possibly an early image of the Buddha
- Kushans conquer Gandhara and Taxilabetween 50 and 70 · South AsiaGandharan art flourished mainly under the Kushans
- Buddhism reaches China: the court of Liu Ying at Pengcheng65 · East AsiaBuddhism reached China from the Kushan lands along the Silk Road
- Reign of Kanishka, the height of the Kushan Empirec. 127 – c. 150 · South AsiaGandharan art flourished under the Kushans; some of Kanishka’s coins show the Buddha
Same participants
- Kujula Kadphises founds the Kushan Empirebetween 20 and 50 · Central and Northern Asiavia Kushan Empire
Adjacent events in the thread
- Reign of Gondophares, founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdombetween 19 and 20 – c. 46 · South Asia
- Apostle Thomas in India (tradition)52 (?) · South Asia
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within a year of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Death of Augustus19 August 14
- Boudica’s revoltbetween 60 and 61
- Battle of the Teutoburg ForestSeptember 9
- Roman conquest of Britain43 – between 83 and 84
- Great Fire of Rome19 July 64 – c. 27 July 64
+ 5 events
Eastern Europe
- Roman–Bosporan War45–49
- Rome recognises Aspurgus as king of the Bosporus14
- The Alans appear on the Don and in the North Caucasusbetween 50 and 72
- Plautius Silvanus lifts the Scythian siege of Chersonesusbetween 61 and 66
- Zarubintsy culturec. 200 BC – c. 200
Balkans and Anatolia
- Thrace becomes a Roman province46
- Missionary journeys of Paulc. 46 – between 57 and 58
- Earthquake in Lydia17
- Dioscorides’ De materia medicabetween 50 and 70
- Domitian’s Dacian Warbetween 85 and 86 – 89
+ 2 events
Middle East and Egypt
- Crucifixion of Jesusbetween 30 and 33
- Aretas IV and the height of Petra9 BC – AD 40
- Periplus of the Erythraean Sea40s … 70s
- Roman–Parthian War of 58–6358–63
- Reign of Vologases I51–78
+ 3 events
Africa
- Temple of Apedemak at Naqabetween 1 BC and AD 70
- Roman annexation of Mauretania40 – between 42 and 44
- Revolt of Tacfarinas17–24
- Adulis and Aksum in the Periplus40s … 70s
- Nero’s expedition to the sources of the Nilebetween 61 and 62
+ 1 event
Central and Northern Asia
- Kujula Kadphises founds the Kushan Empirebetween 20 and 50
- The Xiongnu split into Northern and Southern48
- The burials of Tillya Tepe (the Bactrian Gold)between 16 and 100
- Ban Chao’s campaigns in the Tarim Basin73–102
- Battle of Ikh Bayan and the Yanran inscription89
+ 2 events
East Asia
- Liu Xiu restores the Han: the Eastern Han25
- Battle of Kunyangbetween June and July 23
- Red Eyebrows rebellion17–27
- Envoys of Na receive a gold seal from Emperor Guangwu57
- The Yellow River changes its course11
+ 3 events
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Trưng sisters’ rebellionMarch 40 – 43
- Founding of Funan: Kaundinya and Queen Liuyebetween 1 and 100
- Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700
- Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200
North America
- Hopewell traditionbetween 200 and 100 BC – c. 500
- Late Basketmaker II erac. 50 – c. 500
Latin America
- Monte Albán II: the Zapotec state expandsc. 100 BC – c. 200
- Emergence of the Moche culturec. 100
- Rise of Teotihuacanc. 1 – c. 250
- Preclassic Maya collapse: El Mirador is abandonedc. 100 – c. 250
- Nazca culture and the Nazca Linesbetween 200 and 100 BC – between 500 and 800
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Greco-Buddhist art
- Wikipedia (English): Buddhist art
- Wikipedia (English): Bimaran casket
- Wikipedia (Russian): Греко-буддистское искусство
- Wikipedia (Russian): Искусство Гандхары
- Marshall J. The Buddhist Art of Gandhara: The Story of the Early School, Its Birth, Growth and Decline. — Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960.
- Wikidata: Q1008014