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Verri, Giovanni, Luczanits, Christian, Borges, Victor, Barnard, Nick and Clarke, John (2020) 'Investigations of a Gandharan stucco head of the Buddha at the Victoria and Albert Museum (IM.3-1931).' Technè, 48. pp. 136-149.

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Abstract

This study presents the results of a technical and art historical study of an important Gandharan head from the Victoria and Albert Museum. For several years, the head has played an important role in the history of Gandharan art, because of its high aesthetic qualities. However, the head has received limited scholarly attention since its first display in the 1930s. This study reviewed the head’s physical, curatorial and conservation history and determined its construction using non-invasive and non-contact investigative techniques (technical imaging, FTIR, XRF and FORS). The support consists of several layers of a lime- and gypsum-based plaster (gauging plaster) and only salient elements of the face (e.g. lips, eyes and hairline) and the hair were painted, with a high-quality red ochre and with an unidentified black pigment, respectively. A careful examination of the construction of the head allowed to determine that it probably belonged to an iconic representation of the Buddha, as opposed to a narrative scene.

Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Gandhara, stucco, gauging plaster, polychromy
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > School of Arts > Department of the History of Art & Archaeology
ISSN: 12547867
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.4000/techne.2792
Date Deposited: 25 Jan 2021 13:33
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/33052
Related URLs: https://www.ope ... ition.org/21578 (Organisation URL)

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