A History of Early Buddhist Sculpture

A short guide to the origins and meaning of Buddhist sculpture

Head of Buddha Bodhisattva (c. 4th century AD) from Gandhara. Image source Wikimedia Commons

In a sense, the history of Buddhist sculpture began at the moment of the Buddha’s death in around 400 BCE. As was customary in India, the body of the Buddha was cremated. As an auspicious relic, the Buddha’s ashes were subsequently shared between eight locations across India and interred…