The winged atlas seated with one leg tucked beneath him and one arm on his knee as he raises his right hand to support the heavens. His muscular body clothed in only a loincloth, his face well detailed with almond-shaped eyes, full lips, and a thick beard.

Provenance: From a private estate in southern France.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks, structural cracks, minor chips, and obvious losses.

Weight: 4,381 g
Dimensions: Height 20.1 cm (excl. stand) and 24.3 cm (excl. stand)

Mounted on a wood stand. (2)

The atlant type stems from a tradition in classical architecture of depicting male and female figures supporting architectural superstructures best known from The Ten Books on Architecture by Vitruvius, dedicated to Emperor Augustus (see Rowland, Vitruvius: Ten Books on Architecture, Cambridge, 1999, pages 83 and 135).

In the Gandharan context, similar examples in stucco surviving in situ line the veneer of stupa bases at Taxila and Hadda, recording the placement of such figures at Buddhist sites. Whilst maintaining a similar function and a clearly Western look, the Gandharan version differs from the classical prototype in the common inclusion of wings and the primarily ornamental rather than architectural function of the figure. Moreover, while we have evidence from which to understand his context at Buddhist sites, his precise identity remains a mystery. He has been called a disguised yaksha, a lesser Greek god, and a Garuda, yet there is no archaeological or textual foundation to underpin any of these claims (see Foucher, L'art Greco-Bouddhique du Gandhara, 1905, page 208, and Errington, The Western Discovery of the Art of Gandhara and the Finds of Jamalgarhi, London, 1987, page 67). Perhaps, the term 'Atlas' ties him too closely to the classical prototypes, at the risk of obscuring added layers of meaning in the unique Gandharan context.

Literature comparison:
For related examples in various attitudes, see W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, vol. II, plates 355-68.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2004, lot 11
Price: USD 7,170 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small gray schist figure of Atlas, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving with similar wings. Note the size (16.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2007, lot 238
Price: USD 12,000 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Gray Schist Figure of Atlas, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd Century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving. Note the size (28.5 cm) and that this figure lacks wings.