History is never short on irony. The Indian subcontinent, now one of the world's most unstable nuclear hotbeds, once cradled a religion founded on nonviolence. And what is today a breeding ground for sectarian fundamentalism was the birthplace of a rich artistic heritage that drew deeply on the tolerant values of Buddhism.

From Oct. 29 to Dec. 15, two countries return to their shared roots in simultaneous exhibitions to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties with Japan. In a rare event, 40 sculptures from Mathura, India, and 48 from Gandhara, Pakistan, are on display under the same roof at the Tokyo National Museum.

These ancient stone sculptures dating from 200 B.C. to A.D. 600 trace the origin and evolution of Buddhist figural art. In the myriad faces of Buddha on display, we discern a reflection of the expansive face of Buddhism itself -- a then-young religion with the ability to accommodate vastly diverse influences in its pantheon.

The beginnings of Buddhist art date back to the earliest days of the religion itself. There is evidence in some sutras to suggest that figures of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, were being sculpted during his lifetime (ca. 563-483 B.C.). Surviving examples, though, are not representational depictions of Siddhartha, but iconic ones. Perhaps, the artists of the time reasoned that an enlightened being who had achieved nirvana should not be represented in merely human form.

The symbolic motifs used to represent the Buddha are numerous -- the Bodhi tree under which he discovered the true meaning of life; the lotus throne; and the dharma wheel, symbolizing, among other things, the cycle of birth and rebirth. Showing here is a beautiful example of a popular Buddha-symbol, the third-century A.D. "Buddhapada (Buddha's Footprint)" from the remarkable temple complex of Nagarjunakonda in southern India, where Buddhism had spread under the last great emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty, King Ashoka (reigned ca. 273-232 B.C.).

Ashoka, the story goes, was a ruthless ruler intent on expanding his conquests. However, the bloodshed of the Kalinga War in 262 B.C. converted the warrior-king to pacifism and Buddhism. He became a tireless promoter of Buddhist principles and is credited with building 84,000 stupas, many of which still stand today.

The turning point in Buddhist art came a few centuries later, during the era of the Kushan Dynasty (late first century-third century A.D.), whose domain stretched from central Asia to northern India. Something -- although this exhibit doesn't venture any explanations as to what -- triggered a departure from the symbolism of early Buddhist art to the first examples of figural representation. The shift occurred, incidentally, around the same time that the concept of bhakti was gaining ground. Bhakti -- stressing the intense emotional attachment of a devotee to his personal god as a means of achieving salvation -- may have pushed Buddhist art toward developing an approachable image of the Buddha.

This transformation was almost concurrent in the two emerging centers of Buddhist art: Mathura, in northern India, and Gandhara, in what is today northern Pakistan. It was here that the Buddha acquired not one face, but many.

Both Mathura and Gandhara evolved their own distinctive styles. Mathura's Buddha figures, carved from locally quarried red sandstone, are mostly clad in robes that leave the right shoulder bare. Meanwhile, Gandharan sculptures absorbed the artistic conventions of Hellenism, Greco-Roman civilization and Persian civilization -- as evidenced by Buddha figures with wavy hair (instead of the typical cluster of tight curls); at times, a heavy mustache; and classical features.

There was vigorous exchange between these two centers despite the distance between them. A seated Buddha (3rd-5th centuries) believed to be from Peshawar, betrays the distinctive bare right shoulder of the Mathura figures. This is a telling departure from the characteristically Gandharan style, in which typically Buddha figures are clad in garments that cover both shoulders.

In both places, Buddhist art responded to indigenous culture. In Mathura -- also the birthplace of Krishna -- polytheistic Hinduism was the predominant influence. The influence of locally-worshipped yaksha -- nature deities usually represented as rotund -- is seen in several images here. The headless body of a 2nd-century standing bodhisattva from Maholi has a robust torso and strong legs planted firmly apart. In a contemporaneous "Seated Buddha Triad" from Mathura, the face of the Buddha is well filled out.

Not only do some Buddha figures display yaksha traits, but actual yaksha figurines were often placed as guardians at the entrance of Buddhist temples. Sculptures of Hindu deities, particularly voluptuous female goddesses, frequently adorn the gates and railings surrounding stupas. The figural tendency of Buddhist art found new models also in the monks and devotees that comprised the Buddhist community.

Fresh inspiration derived from developments within Buddhism itself. The emergence of Mahayana Buddhism, with its emphasis on the afterlife, gave new prominence to the figure of the bodhisattva. An enlightened being, this is a potential Buddha who rejects nirvana out of a compassionate desire to ease the suffering of mankind. A 3rd-century standing bodhisattva from Peshawar shown here is embellished with acutely detailed ornaments. Where Buddha figures were often carved with a deliberate austerity of form, bodhisattvas are depicted as princes, bedecked in elaborate jewelry carved from the same stone.

The different incarnations of the bodhisattva on display can be identified by distinguishing details such as hairstyle and mudra -- the hand gestures that, in Buddhist art, are used to express complex philosophical concepts. A stunning representation of the numerous figures of Buddhism stands at the very start of the Gandhara exhibit -- the massive stone relief has Buddha at the center, seated upon his lotus throne, surrounded by an adoring audience of bodhisattvas and other heavenly beings. Buddha's hands are curved in the classic "turning the wheel" mudra -- signifying that he is imparting Buddhist doctrine to his listeners.

The bodhisattva form of Sakyamuni can be recognized from his decorated turban, as can Avalokitesvara, who additionally holds a flower, often a lotus. In Buddhist belief, aside from the bodhisattvas, there are also numerous Buddhas preceding Sakyamuni -- usually represented sculpturally by a group of seven Buddhas. In Gandhara, an eighth Buddha figure was added, that of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. Bodhisattva Maitreya has his hair tied in a topknot and is usually holding a vase.

Other multi-figure works include Buddhist narrative sculpture representing scenes from the "Jataka Tales," a collection of stories about the lives of the previous Buddhas, and from the life of Gautama Siddhartha. Particularly striking is the Gandharan "Fasting Buddha," depicting the Buddha's efforts to achieve enlightenment through self-deprivation. His eyes are dark, hollow sockets, his ribs exposed, the mood more somber than serene.

The crowded Buddhist pantheon of Gandhara still found space to accommodate Western deities of Greek or Iranian origin -- Vajrapani, one of the guardian deities derived from the early yaksha forms, is endowed with features resembling those of Hercules in classical statuary. Buddhist sculptors also depicted the Greek god Atlas, often supporting stupas rather than the Earth. Here, though, the only Atlas on display is sitting almost cross-legged, one leg bent at the knee and tucked under his arm, the other crooked inward.

Mathura's position as the stronghold of Buddhist sculpture weakened from the 3rd century onward. New artistic centers developed with the southward spread of Buddhism and the ascent of Chandragupta I in A.D. 320, the first king of the Gupta Dynasty that ruled present-day Bihar in northeast India. These centers employed local materials -- pale-green limestone at the southern Indian temple complexes of Nagarjunakonda and Amaravati; and buff sandstone at Sarnath, near Banaras. Under the patronage of the Gupta kings, Buddha figures reached the heights of sophistication. A graceful 5th-century standing Buddha from Sarnath embodies all the defining features -- a nimbus backing the Buddha, a slight smile and half-closed eyes expressing a deep sense of introspection.

Mathura fell to the Huns at the end of the 6th century and most of its artworks were destroyed. However, the surviving sculptural legacies of both Mathura and Gandhara intuitively express the astounding accommodativeness of Buddhism. In the many faces of Buddha -- rough-hewn or classical in feature, slender or muscular in stature, sharply aware or meditative in mood -- Buddhism's expansiveness finds enduring affirmation. Though his birthplace is now divided, the art he inspired communicates his unifying message, in stone: All life is sacred, all life is one; Buddha can be anyone and anyone can be Buddha.