Stone sculptures were produced in great quantities for the Buddhist monasteries of Gandhara. These images would once have been coated with a fine stucco plaster and painted, in order to give a more colourful appearance. Stucco itself, skilfully modelled around a mud core, was also used as an alternative to stone. This panel would have been shaped from a mould: examples of such moulds have been found in excavations at Gandharan sites, which indicates such figures were manufactured at the monasteries where they were installed. However, details such as facial and anatomical features would have been carved manually.
To find out more about Gandharan art please see our relevant blog post: The Influence of Greek Art on Gandharan Statues.
