The ancient civilization of Gandhara thrived in the region of northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who traditionally given credit for further spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Graeco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetical tastes became prominent. Greek influence began to permeate into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Graeco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with long-lobed ears and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the worlds of the East and West.
Representations of older men and philosopher types were very much in vogue from the Late Hellenistic period to the time of the Republic. The characteristic quality of this era is one of heightened naturalism. The artist has very little to idealize the subject; the sitter’s features are portrayed honestly with no attempt to conceal his flaws. This captivating example embodies this realistic depiction of a man, probably an ascetic in his late fifties. He has a somewhat balding head of hair with only thick, curly locks combed back along the sides of his temples. The subject has heavily furrowed brows that house the deeply set eyes with thick lids and a piercing stare. The intense appearance of the man is further accented by the widened snub nose and the sunken cheeks which are partially covered by the exceptionally rendered curls of his beard. Though these features may be slightly exaggerated, they help create the serious and determined demeanor of the male ideal at the time: a man of some years whose thinking and general looks reflect a strong commitment to the preservation of the state and its interests which revolved around the mental and spiritual advancement of people. This exceptional head bears many of the stylistic features founded by Western Art revealing only the elongated earlobes, considered a symbol of divinity, as an indication of its Buddhist origins. The head has survived in an excellent state of preservation with the back not fully realized giving us further insight as to its use which was to decorate the inner walls of a monastery or temple creating a most imposing vista that was accessible to all worshippers.