Human Anatomy in Ancient Indian Sculptures of Gandhara Art Illustrating the Fasting Buddha
By Sreenivasulu Reddy Mogali and Peter Abrahams
5 pagesOur observations demonstrate that ancient Indian artists of the Gandhara region had a basic knowledge of human anatomy, especially surface anatomy and musculoskeletal features. They also possessed knowledge of the approximate size and position of the bones, joints and muscles, including their approximate origin and insertion points. However, certain errors of anatomical knowledge including an extra number of ribs and a segmented sternum were noticed.
An anatomical review of a few Gandharan “Fasting” Buddha statues, including this one: