Madhuvanti Ghose, The Impact of the Hun Invasions: A Nomadic Interlude in Indian Art
Box lid from Gandhara, Pakistan. The Art Institute of Chicago
Cosmetic box lids with courtly subject matter that relate to each other
stylistically have usually been assigned to Gandhara, 4th/5th centuries
C.E. but perhaps should be dated somewhat later. These reflect the
cultural exchange that took place as a result of the rule of the Sveta
Hunas, or White Huns/Hephtalites in Central India and the Northwest.
Common elements between their subject matter and style and those from
nearby areas such as Kashmir and from Central Asia replicate the
history of the Hephtalite occupation of these regions in the 5th and
6th centuries.
