About this objectA bodhisattva in the pensive mode, with one foot on the floor and the other placed resting against the opposite leg, and the finger of one hand resting against the cheek or head. This iconography emerged in Gandhāra during the Kushan empire (1st to 3rd century), sometimes used to show the young Buddha, Prince Siddārtha Gautama, but often used to depict bodhisattvas, as shown in this 3rd century sculpture attributed to Sahri Bahlol, but possibly from Loriyan Tangai. The style then appears in wall paintings at rock cut temples on the trade routes across eastern central Asia and thence into China by the 5th century.
Date Made3rd century
PeriodKushan
Place MadeGandhāra
Place NotesSahri Bahlol/Loriyan Tangai
Subject and Association KeywordsArrivals
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Lee 1993; Lee nd; Leidy 1990; Rhi 2018
