AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A YAKSHINI, KOH KER STYLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY

拍品描述

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A YAKSHINI, KOH KER STYLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 331, LA 1970, A. Maynard, Khmer Koh Ker Devata 10th c.” Gallery price: EUR 115,000 or approx. EUR 192,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force. Khmer Empire. Finely modeled in the round, the figure presents a face of wrathful expression, marked by large bulging eyes with neatly incised pupils, thick brows curling towards a foliate emblem at the center of the forehead, a broad nose, the mouth slightly agape revealing teeth and fangs, and the head surmounted by an elaborate foliate crown. She wears a sampot secured at waist, with part of the fabric gracefully overlapping at the front, and the pleating is rendered with meticulous attention to detail. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 99 cm (excl. stand), 103 cm (incl. stand) With an associated modern stand. (2) Koh Ker, which lies 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Angkor, was the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928-944. Koh Ker's sculptural style is thus distinct from those developed in Angkor's immediate vicinity. The stone sculpture, often monumental in size, is imbued with a heightened sense of movement and a suppleness of form. The yakshinis (female) and yakshas (male) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as in ancient and medieval era temples of South and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The yakshas have a dual personality: On the one hand, they may be inoffensive nature-fairies, associated with woods and mountains, but there is also a darker version of them, which is a kind of a ghost that haunts the wilderness and devours travelers. Kubera, the god of wealth and prosperity, is considered the king of the yakshas. Guardian figures such as the present lot were placed aside of gateways, steps, and entrances of sacred areas like temples. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related sandstone torso of a yakshini, alternatively identified as the goddess Kali, found in 1923 at Prasat Kraham, Prasat Thom, Koh Ker, dated first half of the 10th century, the upper torso 67 cm high, now in the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.1665. Compare a closely related Koh Ker sandstone head of a yaksha, 40.5 cm high, in the collection of the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.1666. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Paris, 7 June 2011, lot 390 Price: EUR 97,000 or approx. EUR 124,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the size (84 cm) and different subject.

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