Northwest Pakistan, Gandharan, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A finely carved, grey schist relief panel representing the goddess Hariti from the Gandharan Empire. While often depicted as a woman surrounded by or nursing several children, here she holds a cornucopia in her left hand and a pomegranate in her right hand. According to Buddhist mythology, Hariti had hundreds of children whom she adored. However, in order to feed them, she kidnapped and slaughtered other children. The grieving mothers asked Buddha to put an end to Hariti's actions. So the Buddha abducted her youngest son and hid him under his rice bowl. After a desperate search, Hariti appealed to Buddha who explained that her suffering was due to the loss of only one of her hundreds of children. He asked her to imagine the immense suffering of the parents who lost their only children. Upon hearing this, Hariti vowed to be a devout protector of children as well as women in childbirth. In return the Buddha gifted her with bodhi which empowered her to counter evil and cure the sick. From that moment on, she ate pomegranates instead of human flesh. Hence we see this Hariti presenting a pomegranate and a cornucopia of plenty. Stylistically, the attention to the drapery, the sinuous, wavy Mediterranean hair, as well as the sensitive modeling of Hariti's expressive visage demonstrate a great classical influence. Alexander the Great conquered Gandhara in 330 BCE and with the help of the Indo-Greek kings introduced classical traditions that would influence Gandharan art for the following seven centuries. A rare example of Greco-Buddhist art that demonstrates a strong syncretism between eastern and western traditions. Custom mount. Size: 8.75" W x 14.5" H (22.2 cm x 36.8 cm)

Provenance: Ex - Private New Jersey collection formed before 1990

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