Pakistan, Gandhara, Buner area, early Kushan period / 1–100 CE
Dancers and Musicians from Phrygia
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Dancers and Musicians from Phrygia as sculpture (Pakistan, Gandhara, Buner area, early Kushan period · 1–100 CE).
The peaked hats they wear are called "Phrygian caps."
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as schist.
The museum's collection notes: The distinctive garments worn by the figures on this relief may identify them as people from the ancient region of Phrygia, in present-day central Turkey. They wear baggy tunics with trousers tied at the ankles and peaked caps. Three figures hold their feet and hands in postures of dancing, while a musician plays a stringed instrument similar to a lyre, and a percussionist keeps time on the drum clutched between his legs. The figure at the far right holds up an unidentified object. This panel has tenons above and below to fit into a structure using no mortar. The scale of this panel suggests that it was installed as a stair riser.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtDancers and Musicians from PhrygiaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.