Historical depictions of Kushans

[druzhina345]

The Kushan Empire was formed by the Yuezhi (their Chinese name), in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of Afghanistan, and then the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent at least as far as Saketa and Sarnath near Varanasi (Benares), where inscriptions have been found dating to the era of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka the Great.

Frieze from Khaltchayan Reception Hall, 50 BC-50 AD, northern Bactria, Yuezhi, Kushan or Parthian. Institute of Art. Hamza. Tashkent
Scenes from the life of the Buddha, Kushan Gandhara, Pakistan or Afghanistan, late 2nd-early 3rd century AD. Free Gallery of Asian Art, Smithsonian, F1949.9a-d.
. Plate 7 Gandharan warriors in The Armies of Bactria 700BC-450AD Volume 2 (Illustrations) by Valerii P Nikonorov. Colour Plates by Rory Little.
Kushan Statue of Kanishka, Mathura, India, mid 2nd century AD
Orlat Battle Plaque, 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD Sarmatian (Kangju or Yuezhi) or 3rd to 5th century AD Hunnic (Tashtyk, 'White Huns' - the Hephthalites), Samarkand
Orlat Belt Plaques, 1st to 3rd century AD, Samarkand, Sogdia
A relief panel of Grey Schist showing Kushans with swords, Gandharan, Pakistan, 2nd-3rd centuries AD
Gandharan Statuette of a warrior, 2nd-3rd centuries AD. Peshawar Museum.
Fallen Kushan on the Sassanid Rock Relief of Bahram II at Naqsh-i Rustam, late 3rd century AD, Persia
Armoured Kushan(?) warrior in 'The Great Departure', 3rd to 5th centuries AD (?), post-Ghandaran, Lahore Museum.

A mixture of Kushan and Indian warriors are depicted as the 'Host of Mara'.

Mirror Site
Illustrations of Scythian, Saka, Sarmatian, Pazyryk Culture, Yuezhi, Parthians, Kushan, White Huns, Hephthalites and Alchon Huns

Druzhina345
Ancient Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

[Roma_Victrix]

Thanks for sharing! The Kushan Empire is always fun.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Very interesting.
Didn't even know there was a Kushan Emperor.