Morphometric Analysis of Gandharan Stucco Buddha Heads: A Case Study of Bharat Kala Bhavan Collection

Priyanka Chandra

Bharat Kala Bhavan is a museum of art and archaeology, situated on the campus of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. It was established in 1920 by Padma Bhushan Raikrishna Das. It has more than one Lac art objects collection. In the archaeological collection, among 54 Gandharan art objects, there are 23 Buddha heads (stucco) which seem to be significant in the collection. The stucco figures play an important role in the Indian art, but only limited importance to their significance has been paid by the scholar. Being the university museum, it presents a rich resource for the students and researchers to study in detail. The Bharat Kala Bhavan gandharan sculptures were studied during 90's but the detailed study of the valuable stucco heads still needs to be completed, which includes their historical importance, physical changes i.e., manufacturing techniques, mode of accusation in the museum and comparative differences between each other. This paper discusses these issues in detail.