Globalisation & Greco-Buddhist Art

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Representational image: Wikipedia. Sculptures at Jamal Garhi.
Gandhara art is a classic example of how globalisation influences art and vice-versa. 

The Buddha looks beautiful. He’s covered in a long, flowing robe, just as a mythical Greek god would. Standing next to him is a nude man. His upper body is muscular and chiselled, and his buttocks protrude like two circular domes. The naked man with protruding buttocks is presumed to be Vajrapani or Gilgamesh (one can never be sure, but it’s more likely to be Gilgamesh).

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Representational image: Wikipedia. The Buddha and nude Vajrapani.

The description mentioned above is that of a sculpture of the Buddha, etched in stone more than two thousand years ago. It was found, circa 1848, in the Buddhist ruins in Jamal Garhi, now north-western Pakistan, by Sir Alexander Cunningham.



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