The Art of Gandhara in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)

About this book

"Ancient Gandhara, located in the rugged foothills of the Himalayas in what is today northwest Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, was for centuries a thriving center of trade along the Silk Road linking China, South Asia, and the Mediterranean. Gandhara's strategic position and wealth attracted many invaders, including the Greeks, Parthians, and Kushans, who brought with them diverse religious traditions and artistic conventions. Much of Gandharan art is thus a compelling fusion of foreign styles that ultimately gave visual form to the region's Buddhist religious ideals. Buddhism, which had emerged from north India, was embraced by the Gandharan people, whose wealth gave them the means to invest large sums of money in the construction of Buddhist monasteries and sacred areas. More sculpture and architecture made in the service of Buddhism has been found in Greater Gandhara than in any other part of ancient South Asia. Among the earliest remains from Gandhara are luxury items found in urban centers, including intricately carved stone dishes, jewelry, and trade goods carved in bone or ivory, dating from the second century B.C. to the first century A.D. The first art associated with Buddhism dates to the early first century A.D., when carved reliefs embellishing religious architecture began to appear. These reliefs typically illustrate important episodes from the biography of the Buddha, such as his birth, first sermon, and death. Following a gradual decline in the narrative scul

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Indian Art and Sculpture: The Best Books to Read, in Order

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