Review Article Traces of Sculpture in the Kushan Empire
Abstract
The Kushan Empire (c. AD 30–375) was a major ancient power that stretched from Central Asia to northern India; it was founded by the Yuezhi nomads and controlled the Silk Road. Reaching its zenith during the reign of Kanishka, the empire supported Buddhism, developed Greco-Buddhist art, and traded with Rome, China and Parthia. Kushan period art (1st–4th centuries AD) formed a hybrid structure that blended Central Asian, Hellenistic (Greco-Roman) and Indian traditions, shaped particularly by the Gandhara and Mathura schools. Known as the golden age of Buddhist art, this period is characterised by Greco-Buddhist style Buddha statues, royal portraits and gold coins. Mathura art comprises the Buddhist sculpture tradition that developed in Mathura—a centre of trade and pilgrimage in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh—from the 2nd century BC to the 12th century AD. The sculptures were crafted from red sandstone quarried from the nearby Sikri quarries. Due to the sculptures produced using this material, which is still widely found in north-central India today, Mathura is described as a centre for sculpture production. This article discusses the contributions of the Kushan Empire to the art of sculpture—an empire that, whilst not historically dominant, has left a lasting legacy through its visual arts. Focusing on the period of the empire’s rule, the research concentrates geographically on Mathura and the works housed in the Mathura Museum.