A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, MADHYA PRADESH, 12TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, MADHYA PRADESH, 12TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 164, PS UK 1994, India, Madhya Pradesh, Fly wisher 10th-11th c.” Gallery price: EUR 5,200 or approx. EUR 8,700 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. India. Finely carved, standing in a slight tribhanga with her torso swaying to the left, the effortless beauty of this semi-divine female is highlighted by her sinuous form and leisurely activity. Her facial features are precisely delineated, especially her almond-shaped eyes with pupils, well defined-lids, and arched brows. She is adorned with a beaded head ornament, large ear discs, and a thickly beaded necklace that falls between her exaggerated breasts. Her waist belt is festooned with jeweled leg drops connected to rich openwork girdles. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 41 cm (excl. stand), 46 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. Literature comparison: Compare a related sandstone figure of a Shalabhanjika, dated circa 11th century, Western India, exhibited in the Matsuoka Museum of Art, Tokyo. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 March 2014, lot 78 Price: USD 87,500 or approx. EUR 107,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and size (43.2 cm).

图片