Bust of Brahman

The hair of this bearded and mustached Brahman is raised in a bun. The face is framed by a row of stylized hair rolls while on the rest of the head, the locks are represented by hollows. The bun is held together by a tie and forms a small palmette. The beard is treated differently, in small strands, two of which, under the chin, curl and confront each other. The Brahman, made very expressive by eyes deeply sunken in their sockets and serious eyebrows, seems to half-open his mouth. He is wearing deformed lobes. Barthoux associates this head with a naked bust, a rope passed across the torso, which holds in the left hand a vase in which he is dipping his hand. We can see the top of a loincloth, certainly held by a tie at the waist, since the fabric folds up to form a border.

This work with composite artistic influences is a remarkable example of the result of the fusion of Western and Indian inspirations. The sunken eyes recall Scopas, the face refers to the dying Galatians sculpted on the Altar of Zeus in Pergamon. However, the ears with their lobes distended by the heavy jewels and the long hair pulled back in the manner of the Brahmans are of Indian influence.