Sotheby's to present exhibition on development and transformation of Buddhist art

KOLKATA: Sotheby's is pleased to present a selling exhibition, Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World, which traces the historical development and transformation of Buddhist art as it travelled throughout Asia, from the 2nd century, through to the 21st.

The show features pan-Asian Buddhist paintings and sculptures from the ancient regions of Gandhara, Nepal, Tibet, Korea, China and Japan.

Organized jointly by Sotheby's Asian art division, the exhibition aims to introduce important Buddhist artwork to a wider audience.

The works will be on view in our New York galleries from 3rd to 23rd September.

"With the success of Shuimo/Water Ink in March we are delighted to be hosting the Footsteps of the Buddha selling exhibition during our Asian Art auctions in September. These exhibitions in our state-of-the-art second floor galleries allow us to showcase an area of Asian Art in depth and have been enthusiastically received by collectors both here and around the world," says Henry Howard-Sneyd, vice chairman, Asian Art.

Jacqueline Dennis, specialist, Indian & Southeast Asian Art department, notes, "This exhibition provides collectors and connoisseurs with a unique perspective on a variety of cultures through the prism of Buddhism. The 31 pieces in this exhibition display the distinct artistic heritages and aesthetics of their countries of origin, but at the same time, they share a common history and iconography. They express Buddhist philosophical concepts, show how Buddhism influenced the culture of the countries it penetrated, and how those countries made Buddhism their own. These timeless works of art also show how Buddhist art transformed through space and time, and continues to be a vital force in Asia today."