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All auctions / Ancient Art / Eastern India – Pala period Carved black stone Stele in...
Black stone Bhairava Stele – Eastern India, Pala period, late 11th – early 12th century Important cult stele in black stone depicting Bhairava, a terrible yet protective form of Shiva, made in eastern India at the end of the Pala period, around the late 11th or early 12th century. The deity is shown standing with a slight bend of the body, a prominent belly and an intensely animated expression. His face, with wide-open eyes, mustache, beard, and a smile revealing the teeth, perfectly conveys the formidable character of Bhairava. His blazing coiffure and abundant adornments further reinforce this fierce iconography. The principal figure bears several arms and holds various ritual attributes, including a **khadga** or sword, a **khatvanga** or ritual staff, and a shield. He wears a short garment richly worked and numerous ornaments, notably a garland of heads, jewels, and serpent-like elements characteristic of Bhairava’s iconography. The composition is particularly rich. Bhairava is accompanied by two secondary figures placed on either side, as well as small devotees and donors integrated into the stele’s architecture. Elephants also appear in the side registers. At the upper part, celestial figures frame a large **kirtimukha**, a protective mask placed atop the composition. The sculpture is distinguished by the depth of relief, the density of the iconographic program, and the quality of the preserved details, especially in the jewelry, hairstyles, attributes, secondary figures, and pedestal ornamentation. The reverse, left rough, presents a surface fully roughened with numerous visible dressing marks. These elements are an important part of the work’s material reading. Origin: Eastern India Period: Pala period, late 11th – early 12th century Material: black sculpted stone Height: 59 cm excluding base; 60.5 cm with base Weight: about 40 kg with base Base: metal support included Condition: very good for age. Old wear, visible losses, small chips and nicks, localized concretions, traces of erosion and surface aging, in keeping with the antiquity of the work. The photographs are an integral part of the description and allow precise assessment of the condition. Provenance: former collection of Yvette Starck, Luxembourg, then passed down to Jacques Grosbusch, Luxembourg. A signed provenance statement confirming this chain of ownership accompanies the work’s dossier. Documented comparisons: A very close black stone Bhairava stele, also attributed to the Pala period and dated to the late 11th – early 12th century, is held at the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, under inventory number 2006.71. Another comparable example of Shiva Bhairava from Bihar and dated to the 11th century is published by Susan L. and John C. Huntington in Leaves from the Bodhi Tree: The Art of Pala India (8th–12th centuries) and Its International Legacy, 1990, cat. no. 28. This work represents a particularly expressive example of eastern Indian religious sculpture under the Pala, combining strong iconographic power, rich narrative, and a commanding sculptural presence. video Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uyhhbjaj0qdd1c28yu5yx/AObqN2-l5rE-xH2V-uT7KaY?rlkey=vjlxk131nm9li7vyx90siopcj&dl=0
Estimate:$22,653.92
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Estimate:
$22,653.92
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