Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Central Asian (63)

Statue of Bodhisattava Avalokitesvara, standing, wearing diadem, earrings, necklace and dhoti. Arms and feet missing. Bronze, partly encrtusted reddish green patina. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist art, 1st to 5th century. Height: 21.5 cm. The statue is nicely mounted on a custom stand.

Cylinder seal with incised design representing a helmeted human being standing and holding a spear on his left shoulder, a mythical bird standing on its paws, and a symbol between them. Steatite, with traces of soil encrustations. Indus Valley Civilisation. Height: 4 cm. Diameter: 2 cm. Abrasion due to great age, otherwise very good condition.

Grey schist relief fragment, decorated in detail with, on the left side, two square niches showing two stages of the life of Buddha --- Buddha standing and flanked by his two disciples on the upper niche, and Buddha sitting on a throne and meditating with his two disciples in praying posture --- while on the right side, are two superimposed rectangular niches inside which two putti are shown. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist art, ca. 3rd century. Height: 18.5 cm. Width: 18 cm. Thickness: around 4.5 cm...

Statue of a fertility goddess, standing, wearing a necklace, her hands joined in praying posture. Terracotta, painted white. Indus Valley Civilisation period (3300-1300 B.C.), Harappa region. Height: 14.5 cm. Soil encrustations, otherwise very good condition.

Small Buddhist stupa mounted on an elephant. The stupa is composed of three parts which were carved separately from chlorite. Graeco-Buddhist art, Gandhara, ca. 3rd century. Height: 13.7 cm. Several chips, otherwise very good condition. A rare piece.

Square shaped seal with incised design representing a lion and a deer facing each other, surmounted by a five character inscription. Indus Valley civilisation, ca. 3000 B.C. Height: 42 mm. Length: 46 mm. Slight abrasion, otherwise very good condition. A rare seal of this type.

Fine oil lamp made of steatite, carved into the shape of a bird, with floral and geometric relief decor on the sides. Bactrian Civilisation, Ca. 2nd century B.C. Length: 16.5 cm. Height: 6.3 cm. Tiny chips, otherwise very good condition.

Square shaped seal with incised design representing a stylised tiger, surmounted by a four character inscription. Indus Valley civilisation, ca. 3000 B.C. Height: 43 mm. Length: 42 mm. Slight abrasion, otherwise very good condition. A rare seal of this type.

Miniature Buddhist stupa carved from rock cristal, comprising of a central stupa surrounded by four lateral smaller stupas, standing on a square base. The piece is made of twelve parts which were carved separately as shown on photos # 9 and 10. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist art, 1st to 5th century. Height: 9.8 cm. A few stains due to a prolonged stay underground, slight abrasion, otherwise very good condition.

A rare gilt bronze plate, with a fine embossed decoration representing, from the center to the rim, an archer, then a geometric circular frame, then six deities heads and six triangles, finally a rim. Bactrian Civilisation, ca. 4th century. Diameter: 21.5 cm. Obvious signs of use and age, otherwise good condition. Provenance: old French collection, acquired in Afghanistan in 1971 by its former owner.

Relief fragment, sculpted in grey schist, with two levels, the upper level representing Buddha, under an arcade, sitting in royal repose on a dais, and flanked by three disciples on his right, the lower level representing the bust of a Bodhisattva under a vault. Gandhara graeco-Buddhist art, ca. 3rd century. Height: 21 cm. Width: 15 cm. Thickness: around 6.3 cm. The relief is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Good condition.

Schist cosmetic plate of circular shape, with a decoration in relief representing Buddha standing with his right hand in blessing and appeasing posture ("abhaya mudra") and surrounded by his disciples and attendants. Graeco-Buddhist Gandhara art, ca. 1st century. Diameter: 12 cm. The plate is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Slight abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition

Terracotta vase, of elaborate form, with a polychrome decoration, painted around the body, representing eight birds. Indus Valley Civilisation, Harappan Culture, 3300-1700 B.C. Height: 6.7 cm, outside diameter: 12.1 cm. A few chips, some soil encrustation, otherwise good condition. Provenance: Paris auction sale 1969.

Funeral statuette made of calcite. The statuette is composed of three separate parts: a head, a torso adorned with two chimeras in relief and a base decorated with geometric design also in relief. This type of statuette is commonly called "Bactrian princess" among specialists, and dates back from the mid third to the early second millenium BC. Such funeral objects seem to have played an important role in the funerals of elites of the Margiana and maybe the Bactrian courts as well. Height: 8.4 cm...

Fragmentary relief delicately carved to represent a group of three characters, on the left side a yakshi in a niche standing in tribangha posture and holding a palm in her right hand and on the right side two superimposed partly missing characters. Grey schist. Graeco-Buddhist art, Gandhara period, ca. 3rd century. Height: 14 cm. The relief is nicely mounted on a custom plexi stand.

Large rock cristal seal of dome form, with an engraved design representing the bust of a helmeted king in profile. A vertical inscription is incised in front of the profile. Bactria, 4th century BC. Height of the dome: 2.6 cm. Height of the seal: 3.1 cm. Traces of soil encrustation. Tiny chips, otherwise very good condition.

Rare gilt bronze gourd, of oval shape, with an embossed decor representing Bodhisattva Padmapani, standing, holding a vase in his left hand and a lotus on his right hand. Geometric design on the back and the sides. A nicely decorated stopper is attached to the gourd with a small chain. Two loops on the top sides were meant to attach the gourd to the shoulder or the belt. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist Civilisation, ca. 3rd/4th century. Height: 17 cm. Thickness: 2.8 cm...

Rectangular box, made of silver alloy, with an embossed decoration representing, on each side, one or two Buddhas sitting cross-legged in meditation posture, surrounded by floral design. Graeco-Buddhist art, Gandhara period, ca. 3rd century. Height: 10 cm. Length: 18.2 cm. Width: 9.4 cm. A few tiny dents (no damage) otherwise very good condition. A rare piece.

Bronze statue of Bodhisattva Padmapani, standing, wearing diadem and dhoti. Right arm, left hand and feet missing. Fine patina. Gandhara Civilisation 1st to 3rd century. Height: 23,6 cm. The statue is nicely mounted on a custom stand.

Miniature amulet representing Buddha (probably Amitayus, holding the nectar of immortality on his lap), sitting cross-legged on two tigers. The presence of the two tigers is a very unusual and rare image of the Buddha. A loop, for attachment to a necklace, is on its top. Bronze, with encrusted green patina. Gandhara Civilisation, 1st to 5th century. Height: 4.1 cm. Good condition.

Pendant of circular shape, with a small loop for attachment to a necklace. Th pendant is decorated with a design in relief representing a noble woman standing with her two servants. Bronze, with en crusted green, reddish (cuprite) and bluish (malachite) patina. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist art, 1st to 5th century. Height: 10.1 cm. Good condition.

Agate cylinder seal with an elaborate incised design representing four soldiers holding weapons surrounded with symbolic signs, with a fine geometric decor on upper and lower side. Mesopotamian Civilisation. Height: 5.5 cm. Tiny chips on top and bottom (old, maybe during the making) otherwise very good condition.

Buddhist Stupa mounted on an elephant. The stupa is composed of four parts which were carved separately in rock crystal. Graeco-Buddhist art, Gandhara, ca. 3rd century. Height: 8.8 cm. Old accident locally restored, otherwise very good condition. A rare piece.

Square shaped seal with incised design representing a humped bull facing left, surmounted by a four character inscription. Indus Valley civilisation, ca. 3000 B.C. Height: 40 mm. Slight abrasion, otherwise very good condition.

Small cosmetic palette of round shape made from schist, with a carved relief decoration representing Buddha with his two disciples Ananda and Kasyapa. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist art, 1st to 5th century. Diameter: 7.8 cm. Old accident (restored), otherwise good condition.

Steatite oil lamp, finely carved to represent a standing bird. Indus Civilisation period, 2500 to 1500 B.C. Height: 13 cm. Old accident at the tail, soil encrustation, otherwise very good condition.

Steatite seal of square shape, with an engraved design representing a helmeted king riding a horse, surmounted by an undecipherable inscription. Indus Valley Civilisation, 2600-1900 B.C. Height: 3.7 cm. Some abrasion, otherwise very good condition.

Beautifully carved relief fragment representing the head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, wearing a diadem on which appears a small Buddha Amithaba in meditation sitting on a lotus throne and surrounded by foliage. Avalokiteshvara has a third eye, and a necklace. Stone, with some abrasion. Gandhara Graeco-Buddhist period (1st to 5th century). Height: 18.5 cm. The head is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Very good condition...

Dome shaped seal with an engraved design representing a horseman. Agate with fine reddish colour. Bactria, Ca. 4th century BC. Height of the dome: 1.9 cm. Diameter of the seal: 1.8 cm. Very good condition.

Cylinder seal finely engraved to represent a human being holding a bird in each hand and standing beside a couple of winged chimeras each with a human head and surmounted by a bird with two heads. Bronze with green patina. Bactria, Ca. 4th century BC. Height: 3 cm. Very good condition. NOTE: this rare seal may come from Mesopotamia, or be inspired from its art.

Small relief fragment in the shape of a statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, in monk's robes, in meditation posture, sitting on a lotus throne backed by an aureola. Stucco, with traces of polychrome pigments. Pakistan, Gandhara Region, Graeco-Buddhist art, 1st to 3rd century. Height: 5" (12,6 cm). The statue is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Chips in some areas, erosion, otherwise good condition.

Rock crystal cylinder seal, with an incised design representing a horseman with a bow hunting a deer. Bactrian Civilisation, 3rd to 2nd century B.C. Height: 3 cm. Abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition.

Agate cylinder seal with a finely engraved design representing a horseman surrounded by a bird and a bull. Bactria, Ca. 4th century BC. Height: 3.2 cm. Diameter: 1.5 cm. Very good condition.

Fragmentary relief representing two standing bearded men, with a column, or pilaster, between them. Grey schist. Gandhara Civilisation period, ca. 2nd century. Height: 15,8 cm. The relief is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Very good condition.

Rock crystal cylinder seal, with an incised design representing a hunter with a bow facing a deer, both surrounded with symbols. Bactrian Civilisation, 3rd to 2nd century B.C. Height: 3.1 cm. Abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition.

Relief fragment finely carved with a strong Greek aesthetic influence, representing a yakshi in a niche, wearing a diadem, a necklace and a robe, holding a branch with her right hand. Grey schist. Pakistan, Gandharan Greaco-Buddhist art, 1st to 3rd century. Height: 14 cm. The relief is nicely mounted on a custom stand made of green marble. Good condition. Provenance: old British collection.