PENSIVE BODHISATTVA
Art of Gandhara
2nd – 3rd century
Schist,  H. cm. 31

In this relief, the bodhisattva sits under a pavilion, beside a capital. Two other figures appear to his left; one, below, holding a garland, the other inside a shrine with hands in prayer. The scene gives an overall impression of intimate and pensive reflection: the eyes are open but the gaze seems to be lost in a dimension of great sweetness and inner serenity. This intimist suggestion, so rare in most Eastern art, is certainly the most fascinating feature of this sculpture, which appears as an icon of human religiosity.
The work was presented at the “The Art of Gandhara” exhibition and published in the catalogue on page 47.