Sandstone India, Kushan empire (2nd century BC to 3rd century AD), 2nd century AD Dimensions: Height 15 cm (with stand 26.5cm) by 11 cm by 11 cm Weight: 1.7 kilograms / with stand 3.9 kilograms A rare head carved from hard sandstone of red colour of outstanding quality. The head of a Bodhisattva statue is broken at the neck and cut at the back side. The cut side might be indicating that the statue was carved as a rock-cut relief of a Bodhisattva, or it had a large halo disc behind the shoulders. The Bodhisattva is depicted as a calm smiling young man, with open eyes, curved eyebrows, an arched nose, elongated ears and a prominent forehead mark (urna). The hair is curled in the form of small snail shells which are arranged in four even rows around his head. At the top of the head, curling strands of hair are gathered into a bun of a sloping shape and tied with a cord. Thepassionate Bodhisattva in the Mahayana school of Buddhism is synonymous with the first stage of life of the Gautama Buddha until his enlightenment. Images of the Buddha/Bodhisattva made from red sandstone were a characteristic of the artists of Mathura. This place was one of the two capitals of the vast Kushan empire under the rule of Kanishka (beginning in early second century AD) in northern India. Kanishka was a major patron of Buddhism. In the periods of Kanishka and his successors, Mahayana Buddhism and art spread along the silk roads to China Provenance: Purchased 3rd April 2002 at Gallery Dr. Bigler , Zurich Switzerland. Condition: The sculptural fragment is positioned on a metal block and is removable. The right ear has a piece broken off. Special Note: December 2001 a material test was made at the university in Leuven / Belgium which confirms the age.