Provenance Information

In the collection of Christian Humann (Pan-Asian Collection), New York, by 1977 until his death in 1982; Sold to Robert H. Ellsworth, New York, as estate sale in 1982; Purchased by Alice Boney, New York, from Ellsworth, by 1984; Sold to Herbert and Florence Irving, New York, in 1984; Collection of Florence and Herbert Irving from 1984 through 2015; Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015.

Exhibition Information

On view continuously since 1994 in the Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for the Arts of South and Southeast Asia at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “The Sensuous Immortals”, October 25, 1977–January 16, 1978. Additional venues: Seattle. Seattle Art Museum, March 9, 1978–April 23, 1978. Denver. Denver Art Museum, May 26, 1978–July 30, 1978. Kansas City. William Rockhill Nelson Gallery, September 13, 1978–October 29, 1978.

Publication Information

Behrendt, Kurt A. The Art of Gandhara in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York : Metropolitan Museum of Art ; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007, pp. 39–41.

Pal, Pratapaditya. The Sensuous Immortals: A Selection of Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Collection. Exh. cat. Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art ; Cambridge, Mass.: distributed by the MIT Press, [1977], pp. 32-33.

Published on The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collection database (http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection) as of July 2015.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The relief panel has been exhibited and published as early as 1977. It has been on loan at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1993. It has also been on display in the Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for the Arts of South and Southeast Asian Art since 1994.

Provenance Information

Purchased from Alice Boney, New York, in 1984 by Herbert and Florence Irving, New York; Collection of Florence and Herbert Irving from 1984 through 2015; Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015.

Exhibition Information

On view continuously since 1993 in the Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for the Arts of South and Southeast Asia at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Publication Information

Published on The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collection database (http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection) as of July 2015.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The lions have been on loan and on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for the Arts of South and Southeast Asian Art since 1993.

Provenance Information

Reportedly in the Rubin Collection before 1982; Collection of Jeffrey B. Soref from at least 1982 to 2015; Gift of Jeff Soref and Paul Lombardi to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015.

Exhibition Information

The work was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982 in the exhibition Along the Ancient Silk Roads.

Publication Information

U. Von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, Visual Dharma Publications, 1981, p. 79, pl. 3D.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The work has provenance established to 1981 when it was published in Von Schroeder as from a “Private Collection, photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The work was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in 1982. A diminutive image of a Buddha in meditation, on a lotus petal waisted pedestal, framed by a pearl-bordered aureole. The distinctive folds of the upper robe, pleated with V-front in a style familiar from late Kushan stone versions of this subject, points to an early date for Gandharan metal imagery, perhaps 4th century. The early date assigned to this work adds to its significance. The Museum has the premier collection of Gandharan art in the United States, including a uniquely important early bronze seated Buddha and bronze reliquary. This finial depiction of the Buddha lies in direct descent from such early works, and allows the Metropolitan Museum to demonstrate to the public the way in which early Buddha imagery evolved over these early centuries.

Provenance Information

Acquired on the London market by Simon Digby (b. 1932–d. 2010) in the 1970s; Collection of Simon Digby, Jersey Island, United Kingdom; Purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Estate of Simon Digby through John Sidumak in 2014.

Exhibition Information

Exhibited in Asia Week, 2014, Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak at Boerner Gallery, 23 East 73rd Street, New York, New York.

Publication Information

Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak, sale catalogue, 2014, pp. 14–15.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

This work was acquired in London in the 1970s and remained in the Collection of Simon Digby until its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum. Simon Digby, who was born in India to English parents, was a former curator of the Ashmolean Museum and later an independent scholar. This Head of Vaitunkta Vishnu comes from a region in what is today northern Pakistan. The work is likely associated with the Brahmanical mountain complex known as Kashmir Smast, active in the 6th–early 7th century. The iconography represented by works from this site has been of seminal importance in building scholars’ understanding of the evolution of Brahmanical imagery in north-western India generally. Although small in scale, this head of Vishnu represents an important historical moment in the region’s history, witnessed by a shift from Indian Gupta-type crowns to one of Sasanian inspiration, reflecting 6th century regional political re-alliances. It allows a greater understanding of early Vishnu imagery from the northwestern region of the subcontinent.

Provenance Information

Acquired on the London market by Simon Digby (b. 1932–d. 2010) in the 1970s; Collection of Simon Digby, Jersey Island, United Kingdom; Purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Estate of Simon Digby through John Siudmak in 2014.

Exhibition Information

Exhibited in Asia Week, 2014, Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak at Boerner Gallery, 23 East 73rd Street, New York, New York.

Publication Information

Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak, sale catalogue, 2014, pp. 14–15.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

This work was acquired in London in the 1970s and remained in the Collection of Simon Digby until its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum. Simon Digby, who was born in India to English parents, was a former curator of the Ashmolean Museum and later an independent scholar. This Head of Addorsed Maheshvara comes from a region in what is today northern Pakistan. The work is likely associated with the Brahmanical mountain complex known as Kashmir Smast, active in the 6th–early 7th century. The iconography represented by works from this site has been of seminal importance in building scholars’ understanding of the evolution of Brahmanical imagery in north-western India generally. Although small in scale, this work nonetheless represents an important early stage in the esoteric iconographic development of Shiva, which is otherwise unrepresented in the Museum’s holdings, thus allowing a greater understanding of early Saiva imagery from the northwestern region of the subcontinent.

Provenance Information

Acquired on the London market by Simon Digby (b. 1932–d. 2010) in the 1970s; Collection of Simon Digby, Jersey Island, United Kingdom; Purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Estate of Simon Digby through John Siudmak in 2014.

Exhibition Information

Exhibited in Asia Week, 2014, Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak at Boerner Gallery, 23 East 73rd Street, New York, New York.

Publication Information

Indian and Himalayan Sculpture, John Siudmak, sale catalogue, 2014, pp. 12–13.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

This work was acquired in London in the 1970s and remained in the Collection of Simon Digby until its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum. Simon Digby, who was born in India to English parents, was a former curator of the Ashmolean Museum and later an independent scholar. This Head of Shiva comes from a region in what is today northern Pakistan. The work is likely associated with the Brahmanical mountain complex known as Kashmir Smast, active in the 6th–early 7th century. The iconography represented by works from this site has been of seminal importance in building scholars’ understanding of the evolution of Brahmanical imagery in north-western India generally. Though small in scale, this work nonetheless represents an important early stage in stylistic development which is otherwise unrepresented in the Museum’s holdings, thus allowing a greater understanding of early Saiva imagery from the northwestern region of the subcontinent.

Provenance Information

Purchased by Mr. James W. Alsdorf, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., from David Newman, London in 1980. Mr. Newman is deceased and attempts to determine when and from whom he acquired the object were unsuccessful. Mrs. James W. Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997, signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002, and gave the object to the Art Institute in 2015.

Exhibition Information

"A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection" – The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 2 – October 26, 1997).

“Art of Devotion from Gandhara” Columbia, Missouri, Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Missouri (June 8–December 10, 2000).

The object has been displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, in the Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan and Islamic Art, from November 2008 to the present.

Publication Information

Pratapaditya Pal with contributions by Stephen Little, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection (The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Thames and Hudson, New York, 1997) p. 147: 192, p. 315.

Isao Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The World of the Buddha (Tokyo: Takao Watanabe, 1990), fig. 622.

Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (July - September, 1981), pp. 4-7.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Also: Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008. This acquisition falls within two exceptions. First, the cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. This object was acquired by Mr. Alsdorf in 1980 from Mr. David Newman, London. Mr. Newman is deceased and attempts to determine when and from whom he acquired the object were unsuccessful. It has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and since December 2008 as well as included in an exhibition in Missouri. The object has been published various times, including in a major catalogue of South Asian art, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (1997), and in a major compendium on Gandharan art, Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The World of the Buddha (1990). In addition, the acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is a fine sculpture of a guardian figure from the Kushan period which flourished in present day Pakistan during the 2nd/3rd century AD. Second, the acquisition of the object was by gift and the object was promised to the Art Institute prior to 2008. Mrs Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and thereafter signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002.

Provenance Information

Purchased by Mr. James W. Alsdorf, Chicago, Illinois U.S.A. The exact date that Mr. Alsdorf purchased this object is unknown; however, Mr. Alsdorf acquired the object before his death on April 24, 1990. Attempts to determine from whom Mr. Alsdorf acquired the object were unsuccessful. Mrs. James W. Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997, signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002, and again in 2010, and donated the object to the Art Institute in 2015.

Exhibition Information

"A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection" – The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 2 – October 26, 1997).

“In the Footsteps of Buddha” - Hong Kong, China, University Art Gallery (September 25–December 15, 1998).

The object has been displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, in the Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan and Islamic Art, from September 2008 to the present.

Publication Information

Rajeshwari Ghose, In the Footsteps of the Buddha: An Iconic Journey from India to China, (The University of Hong Kong, 1998) pl. 6.

Pratapaditya Pal with contributions by Stephen Little, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Thames and Hudson, New York, 1997) p. 95: 109 and plate p. 296.
Jerome M. Eisenberg, Indian and South-East Asian Art from the Alsdorf collection, (Minerva, 1997), vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 15-18.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Also: Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008.
This acquisition falls within two exceptions. First, the cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. The exact date that Mr. Alsdorf purchased this object is unknown, but Mr. Alsdorf acquired the object before his death in 1990. Attempts to determine from whom Mr. Alsdorf acquired the object were unsuccessful. This object has been included in exhibitions both in the United States and in Hong Kong, China. It has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago since December 2008 and published various times, including in two catalogues of South Asian art: A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (1997) and In the Footsteps of the Buddha: An Iconic Journey from India to China (1998). In addition, the acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is a remarkable representation of the emaciated Buddha head from the ancient Gandhara culture that flourished in present day Pakistan. Second, the acquisition of the object was by gift and the object was promised to the Art Institute prior to 2008. Mrs Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and thereafter signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002.

Provenance Information

Purchased by Mr. James W. Alsdorf, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. The exact date that Mr. Alsdorf purchased this object is unknown. Mr. Alsdorf acquired the object before his death in 1990 and possibly earlier in 1952 from Ephron Gallery, New York, although attempts to determine this conclusively were unsuccessful. Mrs. James W. Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997, signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002, and gave the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015.

Exhibition Information

"A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection" – The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 2 – October 26, 1997).

“Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art” New York, N.Y., Katonah Museum of Art (October 17, 2004 - January 9, 2005).

The object has been displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, in the Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan and Islamic Art, from September 2008 to the present.

Publication Information

Pratapaditya Pal with contributions by Stephen Little, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Thames and Hudson, New York, 1997) p. 92: 107 and plate p. 295.

John Siudmak, “Gandharan and Western Himalayan Sculpture in the Alsdorf Collection” Orientations, 28, 7 (1997) pp. 42-50.

Kathryn H. Selig Brown, Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art (Katonah Museum of Art, 2005).

Milo C. Beach, "The Ear Commands the Story: Exploration and Imagination on the Silk Road" in The Silk Road and Beyond: Travel, Trade, and Transformation (The Art Institute of Chicago, 2007), p. 11, fig. 2.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Also: Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008.
This acquisition falls within two exceptions. First, the cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. This object was acquired by Mr. Alsdorf sometime before his death in 1990 and possibly earlier in 1952 from Ephron Gallery, New York. This object has been exhibited in New York as well as at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and since December 2008. It has been published multiple times, including in three catalogues of South Asian art: A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (1997); Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art (2005), and The Silk Road and Beyond: Travel, Trade, and Transformation (2007). In addition, the acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is a remarkable Gandharan relief narrative revealing Greco–Roman influence depicting the Buddha Shakyamuni meditating with the Buddha Dipankara below, from the Kushan period which flourished in present day Pakistan during the 2nd/3rd century AD. It will be one of the very few such relief narratives in the collection. Second, the acquisition of the object was by gift and the object was promised to the Art Institute prior to 2008. Mrs Alsdorf publicly promised the object to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and thereafter signed a promised gift agreement for the object in 2002.

Provenance Information

n.d.-1973 collection of unidentified collector, Swat District, Pakistan; 1973-2013 collection of Henry and Mary Louise Church, Ovid, NY (purchased from unidentified collector, Swat District, Pakistan); 2013 collection of Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of Henry and Mary Louise Church)

Exhibition Information

None

Publication Information

None

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Provenance for this object is established to 1973 when it was purchased directly by the donor, as per correspondence and documentation on file.