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Khaltchayan Reception Hall, Yuezhi north Bactria, 50 BC-50 AD
The seated Queen
In the palace at Khal chayan, complete scenes were carved around the walls of the main hall and the aiwan. In the hall, the centre-piece was a scene of imperial splendour – a Kushan monarch of the lineage of Heraus, seated on a throne with his lady. Above them are Nike and Heracles, and on both sides are men and women of the imperial household. To the right is another dynastic scene – the head of the family shown seated while others stand around in formal attitudes. To the left is a battle scene with mounted heroes in armour and helmets, and lightly armed bowmen shooting as they advance.
Source: KUSHAN ART G. A. Pugachenkova, S. R. Dar, R. C. Sharma, M. A. Joyenda in collarboration with and H. Siddiqi
The main reception chamber in the Khaltchayan hall was decorated with splendid wall reliefs in clay and stucco on a wooden frame picked out in vivid colours. In the centre of the main wall sat a royal couple flanked by attendants; on the north side were further nobles, and a goddess on a chariot, while on the south were central Asian horse-archers.
Khaltchayan in Surxondaryo prov., southern Uzbekistan, site of a settlement and palace of the nomad Yuezhi, with paintings and sculptures of the mid-1st century BCE. The Yuezhi, and perhaps other nomad groups, overthrew the Hellenistic Greek dynasty which had ruled there since the mid-3rd century as successor to the post-Achaemenid governments of Alexander and the Seleucids.
Reference: Iranica online - Khalchayan
