Northern India Terracotta Buddha seated in the Dharmachakra Mudra. - 13 cm

Elegant terracotta Buddhist statuette representing the Buddha seated in the gesture of teaching, very likely the dharmachakra mudra. The work stylistically belongs to North India, in a late Gupta to post-Gupta horizon, Ve–VIe century A.D., probably the 6th century. The full face with lowered eyes, the large circular halo and above all the very graphic treatment of the monastic robe by regular series of folds find good parallels in the Gupta sculptural tradition of the Gangetic valley. The statuette is particularly interesting for its truly three-dimensional conception. Unlike a simple votive plaque on a flat back, the back of the figure is modeled: the shoulders, the arms and the pelvis extend in volume while the folds of the garment are also carefully indicated on the reverse. The halo, plainer at the rear, also preserves a convex shape. The surface presents a beautiful pinkish tone characteristic of terracotta, with homogeneous wear, ancient deposits in the hollows and some small losses around the rim of the halo. These elements give the whole an especially attractive archaeological presence, while keeping perfectly legible the face, the hands and the overall silhouette. Provenance: former Belgian private collection, formed between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted by inheritance. Dimensions without base: 13 × 8.5 × 3.5 cm. Dimensions with modern base: 13.5 × 10.5 × 6 cm. Weight: 597 g. Presented on a discreet modern metal base. No thermoluminescence test has been carried out, given the value level of the work. The attribution rests on visual, technical and stylistic examination as well as on comparison with institutional reference corpora. audio/video note: video link. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w8wia1mnhmsx3r77obl2b/AKWnbXzzyysJon191PBP6c0?rlkey=49u44t6xqifyj6t37sl63hjaw&dl=0

Estimate:$1,007.38

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