NEW YORK, NY.- Auctionata, the leading online auction house, presents its Asian Art Day on December 16, 2016, featuring extremely rare and exceptional works of Asian Art via livestream auctions on www.auctionata.com. In a three-part auction series, rare sculptures, fine porcelain and exquisite paintings will be offered to bidders worldwide.

A highlight of the series will be the auction “Important Gandhara and Early Buddhist sculptures from a European Collection” at 4:00 pm CET. This collection originates from a single European family and was founded in the 19th century. Since the 1930s, the collection has been anchored by 39 early Buddhist sculptures including sought-after treasures of Gandharan art as well as Chinese works tracing the transformation of early Buddhist art. A highlight of the sale is a Rare Schist Figure of Fasting Buddha, Gandhara, c. 2-4 CE, an extremely rare sculpture of an emaciated fasting Buddha in grey schist, originally hailing from the vast region of Gandhara or present day Pakistan and Afghanistan. The sculpture is one of less than ten known artworks depicting the historical Siddhartha Gautama during his seven-week meditation in the moment of his enlightenment and has never before been offered at auction.

Enthusiasts can place absentee bids in advance or bid live on www.auctionata.com or via the Auctionata Live iPhone app from all over the world.

Auction Highlights: Important Gandhara and Early Buddhist Sculptures

• Rare Schist Figure of Fasting Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd-4th C.
The depiction of the fasting Buddha is amongst the rarest subjects in Gandharan art. Very few sculptures of this kind are known to exist worldwide, most of them belong to museum collections. From a European private collection, documented in the estate of the family since the early 20th C. Height: 103 cm. Starting price: € 300,000

• Schist Figure of Seated Buddha Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd-4th Century.
Starting price: € 50,000

• Limestone Figure of Guanyin on Lotus Base, China, 5th/6th Century. Starting price: € 18,000

• Terracotta Head of a Bearded Man, Gandhara, 3rd-5th C. Starting price: € 15,000

• Gray Schist Figure of a Winged Atlas, Gandhara, 2nd-4th Century Starting price: € 18,000