Column

Unknown (Kushan)

Item type:

sculpture

Date of creation:

2nd-3rd century

Height:

30.5 cm  (12 in.)

Width:

11.6 cm  (4 9/16 in.)

Diameter:

5.0 cm  (2 in.)

Technique / Medium:

carved schist

Place of creation:

Gandhara (former nation/state/empire)

School:

Gandhara

Description

Stupa drum framing element containing a Persepolitan column. The bell-shaped member is enriched with acanthus leaves, and the hemispheres above, separated by a plain cable, are decorated with centrally grooved lotus petals. Addorsed humped bulls and a rectangular lion's-head die support a voluted double bracket with sawtooth enrichment. The pot base, with an everted rim and lotus-petal enrichment under an undulating border round the middle, rests on a stepped plinth. Against the shaft and standing on the pot a male musician in girt knee-length tunic, collar and earrings strikes a circular drum with both hands; in a curious twisted stance he turns to his left above the waist, but below it he turns in the opposite direction and is seen partly from behind. The frame is enriched with an undulating line.

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Drum [2585]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 2

RIdIM record id

5346