Tête du Buddha, Gupta India

The Gupta dynasty, which reigned over a large part of the Indian Territory from the 4th to the 6th century, introduced a style that can be described by the epithet "classic".

Based on principles gradually laid down in the course of the previous centuries, the art of the Gupta dynasty adopted some of them to create a highly characteristic style that spread not only in India itself but also in all the Asian regions under Indian influence. It flourished a long time after the Gupta dynasty disappeared, and became the foundation for local styles that were often admirable, such as that of Borobudur in Java (8th century).

The origin of this small Gupta Buddha head is not known precisely. However, the stone from which it has been sculpted could be of the same type that was widely used by the workshops of the Sarnath region (near Benares, on the banks of the Ganges), the place where the Sakyamuni Buddha gave his first sermon in the 6th century B.C.