Enthroned Buddha Finial

A diminutive image of a Buddha in meditation, on a lotus petal-waisted pedestal, framed by a pearl-bordered aureole. The distinctive folds of the upper robe, pleated with V-front in a style familiar from late Kushan stone versions of this subject, points to an early date for Gandharan metal imagery, perhaps 4th century. Whilst this object may have functioned as an independent icon, it is also likely that it was part of an ensemble, perhaps serving as a finial atop a bronze container for Buddha relics. The early date of this work adds to its significance, given the scarcity of Gandharan world bronzes up to around this period. Bronzes images do occur earlier, but they are extremely rare and point to this medium being of lesser importance—small scale and essentially portable icons were variously made, according to the written sources, in sandalwood, ivory, gold and silver.