A RARE SANDSTONE STUPA FRAGMENT WITH A HOUND, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 2ND-3RD CENTURY

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A RARE SANDSTONE STUPA FRAGMENT WITH A HOUND, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD, 2ND-3RD CENTURY Expert’s note: Within the cosmopolitan culture of Kushan Gandhara, where Indian, Iranian, Central Asian, and Greco-Roman traditions converged, hounds carried both religious and secular associations. Significantly, they also appear in Buddhist Gandharan imagery, most notably in the rare episode of the white dog barking at the Buddha. When the Buddha visited the house of Subha, the dog barked at him, whereupon he revealed that the animal was Subha’s deceased father, reborn as a dog because of his attachment to worldly wealth. To prove this, the Buddha indicated where the father had concealed a treasure, which the dog then uncovered. The episode thus transformed an apparently commonplace animal into a powerful symbol of karma, rebirth, and the dangers of worldly attachment. India, Uttar Pradesh. With rounded sides, the red crossbar fragment carved to the center in relief on both sides with a striding hound, its robust body supported on slender legs, the alert head with an elongated muzzle and upright ears, and the long tail curling upward. The details of the face, paws, and body are finely incised. Dimensions: Height 23 cm (excl. stand), 30 cm (incl. stand) With a modern metal stand. (2) The present fragment once formed part of a richly carved stone railing surrounding a sacred enclosure or stupa. Such railings were assembled from upright posts, horizontal crossbars, and coping stones, their surfaces enlivened with lotus medallions, figural scenes, and animals. A complete Mathura railing section dated circa 150-250 in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1943.71, demonstrates the original architectural context of these elements. Animal subjects formed an important part of this decorative repertoire, with a remarkable variety of species appearing within circular medallions. Dogs are likewise attested in Kushan-period Mathura, including a terracotta example excavated at Katra Keshava-deva. This rich animal imagery is vividly documented by Vincent A. Smith in his publication on the excavations at Kankali Tila, Mathura, which records numerous animal-decorated railing elements, including a hound closely comparable to the present figure. Literature comparison: Compare Vincent A. Smith, The Jain Stupa and Other Antiquities of Mathura, Allahabad, 1901, pls. LXXI-LXXVI, illustrating numerous circular relief bosses from Mathura rail-bars decorated with different animals; in particular pl. LXXIII, fig. 3, showing a closely related hound. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2002, lot 35 Price: USD 7,767 or approx. EUR 12,500 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, stone, animal roundels, and manner of carving. Note the arguably lower quality of the carving.

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