A STUCCO BUDDHA HEAD WITH RED PIGMENT RESIDUES
PROPERTY FROM THE MOITA COLLECTION OF GANDHARA ART
Gandhara or Fondukistan, Afghanistan, 3rd - 5th century

Almost carved in the round, the face typical of the Fondukistan artistic production with wide almond-shaped eyes, very pronounced lips, spiky nose, elongated earlobes and arch-like eyebrows, the hairstyle a precursor of Gupta snail-shell curls, the usnisa protruding at the top, traces of red pigment on the lips, forehead and around the eyes consistent with other Fondukistan painted stucco heads now in museums' collections, mounted on a tall pyramidal black base, 34cm high including the base.

Similar stucco heads were successfully sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2009, lots 1245, 1246 and 1248.