Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of
Greco-Buddhism, a cultural
syncretism between the
Classical Greek culture and
Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 1000 years in
Central Asia, between the conquests of
Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, and the
Islamic conquests of the 7th century AD. Greco-Buddhist art is characterized by the strong idealistic realism and sensuous description of
Hellenistic art and the first representations of the Buddha in human form, which have helped define the artistic (and particularly, sculptural) canon for Buddhist art throughout the Asian continent up to the present. It is also a strong example of cultural
syncretism between eastern and western traditions.