300-500 AD. Gandharan. A pale orange stucco bust of a male ascetic, depicted in the idealised manner typical of Gandharan art. He is depicted resting, staring off into the distance, with a carefully delineated hairline, small, open eyes, a straight nose, small, pursed lips and a prominent chin. He wears a loose robe, draped over his shoulders. Gandhara was an ancient region in the Peshawar basin in the north-west of the ancient Indian subcontinent. The Kushan period (c. 75-451 AD) of Gandharan art, to which this example belongs, was the golden age of artistic production in the area. For further discussion on Gandharan art, see Jongeward, D. 2019, Buddhist Art Of Gandhara in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Good condition.Size: L:262mm / W:180mm ; 2.45kg; Provenance: From an old British collection of Asian Art formed in the 1990 on the UK and European art market.