A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

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A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-11TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 165, HH 1985, Ex Spinks, India Central 11th c. dancer.” Gallery price: EUR 7,200 or approx. EUR 12,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Rajasthan or Central India. Finely carved, standing in a dynamic pose atop a stylized pedestal, with her left hand poised next to her head, the right clutching an attribute close to her slender stomach, as she twists her body in a dancing motion. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti secured by a festooned belt, the deity is richly adorned with elaborate jewelry around her neck and waist. Her face with downcast almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a beguiling smile, flanked by ears with large circular earrings, framed by the neatly incised hair in an elegant chignon. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 77.5 cm (excl. stand), 78.5 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on an associated stand. (2) In Indian art, a surasundari (lit. 'beautiful goddess') is a young maiden characterizing feminine beauty and graceful sensuality. Buddhist and Jain shrines have featured sensual figures in form of yakshis and other spirits since the 2nd century BC. However, the surasundari motif gained prominence in Indian temple architecture only around the beginning of the 9th century. Shilpa-Prakasha, a 9th-century Tantric architectural treatise, declares a monument without a surasundari as inferior and fruitless. The 15th century text Kshirarnava states that the surasundaris should be depicted looking down (adho-drishti), not looking at someone. In temple sculptures, the surasundaris are often depicted as attendants of gods and goddesses. They also manifest as dancing apsaras. A salabhanjika or tree nymph is another variation of a surasundari. The Chandela dynasty (c. 831-1203 AD) became a great power in Central and Northern India during the 10th century. Thereafter successive rulers built magnificent temples at Khajuraho and elsewhere in their realm, to commemorate their military victories. As their influence expanded, their exquisite architectural style became admired across much of India, as indeed, it is now around the world. Chandela kings commissioned some of the finest temples in India. The best known of these today are in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, now a village but once the Chandela capital. Other temples, no longer standing, were located throughout their realm. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 September 2004, lot 43 Price: USD 71,700 or approx. EUR 109,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar adornments, form, and size (78.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 September 2020, lot 704 Price: USD 137,500 or approx. EUR 146,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar form, adornments, expression, and size (83.8 cm).

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