G. Forgione, “Buddhist clay sculpture: general features and recent insights on the basis of archaeological evidence (4th cent.–8th cent.)”. Summer School “Language, history, culture, and archaeology of Afghanistan”, co-organised by “L’Orientale” University of Naples, ISMEO and INALCO (University and Foundation). Sessa Aurunca, Castello Ducale, 8–12 July 2024.

Abstract: The paper examines the Buddhist clay sculpture in Afghanistan between the 3rd–4th and 8th centuries CE, during the Huna and Shahi periods. It focuses on the sites of Tapa Sardar and Tepe Narenj, with comparisons to Bamiyan, Fondukistan, and Mes Aynak. It outlines the technical and material features of the tradition, characterized by extensive use of clay in both architectural and decorative contexts. Sculptures, typically in high relief and attached to walls, were made through layered construction: inner armatures (often wood), clay mixed with organic inclusions, stucco coatings, intermediate textiles, and final polychromy and gilding. The study addresses construction techniques, organic binders, moulds, and differentiated armatures, alongside recent physico-chemical analyses. It also relates archaeological evidence to Indian religious texts (Śilpa and Āgāma), which conceive the making of the image as a process of vivification, based on a symbolic correspondence between the human body and the various constituent parts of the image. Pigment analysis shows the use of colour with strong symbolic and economic value, often involving costly materials such as lapis lazuli, cinnabar, and gold. Finally, the paper reassesses the Huna period, traditionally seen as a phase of decline, highlighting instead its artistic vitality and major investment in Buddhist monumental production.