The provenance of the Gandhāran 'Trojan Horse' relief in the British Museum

Stewart P

Among the most famous Gandhāran sculptures is a relief in the British Museum that represents the story of the Trojan Horse, probably reinvented as a Buddhist narrative. Several contradictory provenances have been recorded for the relief, while its supposed association with Mardān or Chārsadda has become embedded in scholarly literature. Reconsideration of the evidence, including archival sources, establishes the correct origin, at a well near Hund on the Indus. Despite a general lack of evidence for the provenance of Gandhāran sculptures, information of this kind is precious for any attempt to contextualize sculptures such as the “ Trojan Horse” relief.

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