Gandhara
Hierarchy classification:
Alternative term/s
- Gandharan
- Greco-Buddhist
Anotations
Scope note:
Refers to the culture of the Ghandara region of India, the area between the Upper Indus River and Kabul, under the Kushan dynasty; it particularly refers to the Buddhist architecture and sculpture of the 2nd through the 6th centuries CE. Its style reflected the cosmopolitan connections of its patrons: it was heavily influenced by 2nd-century Hellenistic art of Egypt and Syria. In turn, it gave rise to styles of art in central Asia, Wei China, and Japan. Gandhara monasteries and stupas were very ornate, with Western decorative elements such as acanthus capitals, Hellenistic comedy masks, and putti. The stupa form itself changed in Gandhara: the dome became taller, the railings larger and more elaborate, and the tiered umbrella unit was enlarged until it towered over the entire structure. Sculptural figures were usually heavily draped in toga-like attire and their musculature was typically emphasized; sculptures were usually stuccoed and vividly painted as well. Simultaneously with sculptors in Mathura, Gandhara sculptors supplied a Buddha icon for the emerging Buddhist faith; they also contributed to the development of the Bodhisattva image. A great deal of Gandhara sculpture survives, all of it quite homogenous in style. Important sites were at Shahji-ki Dheri, Takht-i-Bahai, the Taxila region, Sar Dheri, and Sahr-i-Bahlol. The extreme north-west part of Gandhara extended into what is now Afghanistan; Gandharan-style religion and art continued in that area until at least the 8th century.