According to biblical legend, God shaped the first man from the dust of the ground. This myth explains the conception of the generation of this distant epoch, clay being the essential material used for modelling. In Central Asia, nature has been generous and clay that can be used by man was plentiful everywhere. This is why in this area the sculptures were mainly in clay rather than in wood, plaster or stone.
Hellenism was a powerful inspiration in the development of plastic art in Central Asia. The importation of Greek statues and their local execution by sculptors of the Hellenistic school have been corroborated by archaeological discoveries.
Hellenistic art excerts its influence directly in Bactria and in the eastern regions of the Parthian realm. For instance, the Head of Heracles from the Khalchayan Palace is remarkable for the expression of the face which bears the dramatic imprint of inner sufferings, a dominating accomplishment of Hellenistic sculpture.
But this aesthetic conception would soon blend into a purely Asiatic understanding of the tasks and forms of art. The representations of Heracles and Athena in the Khalchayan Palace already offer serious modifications to the local culture: Athena’s face is far from having the majesty of Zeus’ daughter. Only the form of her helmet makes her recognisable.
At the beginning of our era several important centres of culture already existed. At Khalchayan, reliefs were mainly realised in painted clay. They were among the mural compositions with numerous figures where the heads of the characters were worked in high relief and even in round bosse. The themes of sculptural cycles essentially celebrate the ruling dynasty of the monarchs at the beginning of the Kushan Empire. There were scenes of solemn ceremonies and heroic exploits: the royal couple on their thrones, their family and noblemen, a victorious battle. On the frieze, children are represented wearing heavy garlands on their shoulders. Inside the curves of the garland are small half-figures of disguised people, satyrs, actors, and young girls with musical instruments.
All are part of a feast, a theatrical representation, or a remembrance of the Dionysiac games. This kind of frieze came from the eastern region of the Parthian kingdom as far as the Kharezm Province. At Staraia Nisa and Toprak-Kala matrices in baked or unbaked clay have been discovered; the first are moulds of an actor’s mask, his mouth open, the other a simple face with a flat nose, pointed ears, and satyr’s horns.
Realistic and expressive, the sculptures of Khalchayan do not define the authenticity of the portrait but only show an ethnic type and the model’s age and temperament.