A rare and important grey schist standing figure of Buddha, Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd / 4th century | 犍陀羅 二 / 四世紀 灰片岩佛立像

Acquired in Europe in the early 1980s.

Reproduced in the circa 1985 inventory of the family collection. 

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1980年代初於歐洲得

約1985年收錄於家族收藏冊

The Buddha wears a monastic robe falling in deep folds across the body, with his left hand raised holding the gathered hem, the right now missing, and standing on a pedestal depicting devotees with Corinthian pilasters either side. A fragmentary halo encircles the head. Flames emitted from each shoulder are depicted in relief against the halo and water flows from the feet as the Buddha levitates above the pedestal. The sculpture portrays the Twin Miracles of fire and water that the Buddha performed at Sravasti, after his enlightened status was challenged by six heretical teachers. The scene is depicted on panels in Cleveland Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum, see Isao Kurita, Gandharan Art, Tokyo, 2003, figs. 381, 382. As described in the ancient narratives, the Buddha emitted water from his upper torso and flames from his lower body, and then reversed the miracle with fire from the shoulders and water from the feet, as displayed in this rare free-standing Gandhara sculpture of Buddha. The figure represents the Graeco-Roman sculptural style common to the Gandhara region, the legacy of Alexander the Great’s invasion of Northern India (329-326 BCE) and subsequent contact with the Classical World.

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此尊佛像身著袈裟，袍褶深邃，自然垂於身上，左手高舉握著衣角，右手已遺失，立於基座之上。基座兩側飾有科林斯柱飾，並雕刻數位信徒。佛像上方圓光已破殘，圓光下緣顯示火焰由肩而上竄起，雙足下則湧出水流，象徵佛陀凌空而立，超然於基座之上。此雕像再現佛陀於舍衛城所示現的「雙神變」，以水火二重神通顯示其神力。此場景亦見於克利夫蘭藝術博物館與維多利亞與艾伯特博物館之相似浮雕，詳見栗田功《犍陀羅藝術》，東京，2003年，圖版381、382。據古代典籍記載，當時六位異教導師質疑佛陀的覺悟，佛陀自上半身湧水、下半身燃火，隨後逆轉神變，自肩部發火、足部湧水，正如本件罕見的獨立犍陀羅佛像所再現之情景。此像展現了犍陀羅地區典型的希臘羅馬風格雕塑，此風格源自於亞歷山大大帝於公元前329至326年間入侵北印度及隨後與古典世界的文化交融。