Gandhara Stone A Rare Gandharan Stone Figure of a Seated Bodhisattva, Probably Maitreya Ancient region of Gandhara, - 10 cm

A Rare Gandharan Stone Figure of a Seated Bodhisattva, Probably Maitreya
Ancient region of Gandhara, Swat Valley, present-day Pakistan

2nd–3rd century AD
Stone
Height: 10 cm

A highly evocative Gandharan stone figure representing a seated Bodhisattva, probably Maitreya, carved during the flourishing period of Buddhist art in the ancient region of Gandhara.
The figure is shown in an unusually informal and engaging seated attitude, with one knee prominently raised and the body gently turning around the compact composition. This relaxed posture gives the sculpture a remarkable sense of immediacy and humanity and distinguishes it from the more hieratic frontal representations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

The Bodhisattva is portrayed with the characteristic princely appearance associated with Gandharan Buddhist imagery. The head is framed by abundant, carefully arranged hair gathered above the head, while the torso is adorned with necklaces and softly rendered drapery. Despite the small scale and the considerable passage of time, the sculpture retains a strong facial presence and clearly defined modelling of the body and costume.
The pose is especially interesting. Comparable Gandharan “pensive” or relaxed Bodhisattvas are known from the 2nd–3rd centuries, including examples in which one leg is raised or drawn toward the body. Such figures have variously been interpreted as Prince Siddhartha, Padmapani or Maitreya; importantly, in the artistic tradition of the Swat Valley, this type has also been associated with representations belonging to a Maitreya context or triad.

Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, became one of the most important Bodhisattvas represented in Gandharan art. More securely identifiable Gandharan images of Maitreya typically show him as a richly adorned princely figure, frequently with a distinctive hairstyle and, when preserved, a water flask as his principal attribute. The CDM Collection The present figure's iconography therefore makes an attribution to Maitreya plausible, while the absence or loss of a definitive attribute makes the more cautious identification “probably Maitreya” preferable.
The reverse is characteristically left comparatively flat and roughly worked, indicating that the figure was originally conceived in relation to a larger architectural or sculptural setting rather than as a fully worked sculpture in the round. An old handwritten inventory label remains attached to the reverse and records the Gandharan attribution and inventory number E-2291.

The sculpture is mounted on an older custom-made transparent stand, allowing the compact but powerful silhouette to be appreciated from several angles.

Provenance

D. Meyer Antiquiteiten, Amsterdam, Keizersgracht 539, 1017 DP Amsterdam.
Dealer's certificate No. E-2291, identifying the work as a seated figure from Pakistan, Swat Valley, Gandhara, 2nd–3rd century AD, stone.

Purchased 7 October 1999, as recorded on the original signed dealer's certificate.
Thereafter in an important private collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, acquired directly from D. Meyer in 1999 and retained in the same collection continuously until 2026.

Accompanied by the original D. Meyer certificate of authenticity, dated 7 October 1999 and signed by the dealer, as well as the old inventory label on the reverse.

Condition

Ancient fragment with extensive age-related surface wear, weathering and losses consistent with its archaeological nature and antiquity. Details softened through age, with abrasions and minor losses throughout. Mounted on a later transparent display stand. The old collection/inventory label remains preserved on the reverse.

The combination of its 2nd–3rd century Gandharan origin, Swat Valley attribution, unusual relaxed seated posture and documented Amsterdam provenance extending back to 1999 makes this a particularly attractive small-scale example of Gandharan Buddhist sculpture.