Earlier this month, I explored the South Asian and Himalayan collections at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC for the first time. While there were many spectacular objects on display, the Gandharan friezes were a particular highlight, showcasing a range of scenes from the Buddha’s life.
To the untrained eye, these scenes might at first appear confusing, but with some background information, they become easy to interpret and spot throughout Buddhist art in other periods and regions. Gandharan art holds particular historical significance because the Gandharan period was the first to represent the Buddha anthropomorphically. While often categorized as Indian art, the contemporary region today would be Afghanistan or Pakistan. These friezes depict the Buddha Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha who lived around 600 BCE. The first known images of the anthropomorphic Buddha appeared on Kushan coins from approximately 50 CE, and the most classical friezes and sculptures were produced over the next four hundred years. Gandharan images of the Buddha are distinguishable for their Graeco-Roman influences and sublime facial expressions.
Gandharan Scenes
Gandharan friezes depict stories from the Buddha’s life or previous lives and adorned Buddhist temples and other architectural sites during the Kushan Dynasty. While for some Buddhist art enthusiasts, Buddhist scenes on Gandharan friezes feel familiar today because the stories are so frequently repeated throughout Buddhist history, during the Gandharan period, the novelty of the Buddha appearing in anthropomorphic form in these tales for the very first time would have had a very powerful impact. These friezes offered viewers a completely new way of understanding and ultimately worshipping the Buddha. The Smithsonian has four extraordinary friezes on display, read from right to left, depicting the Buddha’s birth, the bhumisparsha mudra, the first sermon, and the Buddha’s death.
The first story, the Buddha’s birth, shows the Buddha’s mother Maya giving birth to him in a garden amongst onlookers, while standing in a traditional yakshi (tree spirit) pose, paying tribute to India’s Vedic heritage. What is remarkable about the Buddha’s birth scene is that he emerged from her right side, already equipped with an ushnisha (cranial protuberance) and nimbus, both symbols of his holiness. Recent examples of auction offerings depicting this scene are available here and here.
The second scene depicts the Buddha calling the Earth to witness at Bodhgaya, which is one of the most popular Buddha’s life scenes depicted in Buddhist art, symbolized by his display of the bhumisparsha mudra; the Buddha is shown seated in lotus position with his right hand touching the ground. This action was in response to the demon Mara doubting the Buddha. As the Buddha proves him wrong, human and animal onlookers gasp in awe. Two soldiers below from Mara’s army are defeated.
After this success, the Buddha conducts his first sermon in the third frieze. Sitting in lotus pose under the bodhi tree, he displays the abhaya mudra (the gesture of reassurance) with his right hand and holds a teaching scroll with his left. Dedicated worshippers and monks listen to his preachings. A focal point of this story is the wheel of the law, displayed on the Buddha’s pedestal. In the final frieze, the Buddha achieves nirvana and leaves the cycle of birth. Mirroring his birth from his mother’s right side, he dies for the final time by laying down onto his right side. Below him sits Subhadra, the Buddha’s last convert. Recent sales showing this scene with the Buddha’s first sermon are available here and here.
The Current Gandharan Market
While there are many Gandharan sculptures available on the market, the popularity of this period has stood the test of time. The most popular Western markets are in New York, London, and Paris, although regional auction houses and galleries also frequently offer Gandharan art. Factors to consider when purchasing a Gandharan piece include authenticity (there are many fakes), age (the best objects typically come from around the middle of the period), quality, size, condition, whether there has been restoration, and especially provenance. There are many works of low-to-medium quality on the market, so choosing sculptures with higher levels of craftsmanship will ensure they better retain their value over time. It remains to be seen how severely US tariffs will affect the global Gandharan art market in 2025 (as it is affecting all related Asian art markets), but this market has traditionally been less susceptible to damage, given the steadfast nature of interest in the subject material. There are multiple factors to consider when assessing your Gandharan sculptures, and Doerr Dallas is here to help!
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Originally from San Francisco, California, Ashley Crawford is an experienced Asian art valuer and provenance researcher. Her specialties include ceramics, Buddhist antiques, Indian miniature paintings, Southeast Asian art, and musical instruments.