10th Apr, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
176
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE GOLD FIGURE OF A MOTHER GODDESS AND CHILD, LATE GRECO BACTRIAN PERIOD OR EARLY KUSHAN EMPIRE
€25,000
€50,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Possibly Tillya Tepe. Ancient region of Bactria, 1st-2nd century. Naturalistically depicted, the mother goddess seated naked, her legs folded and crossed over subtly covering her modesty, the hands cradling a young boy, also depicted in the nude. The child, with hands pressed below his stomach, playfully hinting at his urge to urinate. The faces with wide, almond-shaped eyes under arched brows, a sharp nose, and small lips pursed into a smile. (2)
Expert’s note: Reminiscent of Art Brut, and rejecting all artistic norms, this figure captivates with its raw, almost brutally realistic portrayal of the mother—depicted as a powerful warrior, yet completely nude like her child. Her unwavering focus on protecting the boy reflects a fundamental concern of the era. The style is unembellished and uncompromising, free of ornamentation or dilution—an authenticity rarely, if ever, achieved in later copies.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, some irregularities inherent to production, encrustations, nicks, scratches, and dents.
Alloy composition range: 84.15% gold, 15.52% silver, 0.32% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Weight: 99.6 g (together)
Dimensions: Height 8.4 cm (mother goddess), 6.4 cm (child)
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Bactrian gold appliqué depicting Aphrodite, found in Tillya tepe, Tomb VI, dated 1st century AD, 5 cm high, in the National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, accession number MK 04.40.9, and illustrated by Pierre Cambon, Afghanistan: Les trésors retrouvés, Collections du Musée National de Kaboul, 2007, p. 207, no. 135. Compare a closely related gold standing figure, dated 1st-2nd century AD and attributed to the North-West frontier of the Kushan Empire (modern-day Punjab), 5.1 cm high, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IS.13-1948. Compare a related gold standing female figure with an offering, India, 1st-2nd century, 7.8 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1987.142.309. Compare a related 22k gold figure of Avalokiteshvara, Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century, 8.3 cm high, formerly in the collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum, and sold at Zacke, Vienna, 11 April 2024, lot 235.
Possibly Tillya Tepe. Ancient region of Bactria, 1st-2nd century. Naturalistically depicted, the mother goddess seated naked, her legs folded and crossed over subtly covering her modesty, the hands cradling a young boy, also depicted in the nude. The child, with hands pressed below his stomach, playfully hinting at his urge to urinate. The faces with wide, almond-shaped eyes under arched brows, a sharp nose, and small lips pursed into a smile. (2)
Expert’s note: Reminiscent of Art Brut, and rejecting all artistic norms, this figure captivates with its raw, almost brutally realistic portrayal of the mother—depicted as a powerful warrior, yet completely nude like her child. Her unwavering focus on protecting the boy reflects a fundamental concern of the era. The style is unembellished and uncompromising, free of ornamentation or dilution—an authenticity rarely, if ever, achieved in later copies.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, some irregularities inherent to production, encrustations, nicks, scratches, and dents.
Alloy composition range: 84.15% gold, 15.52% silver, 0.32% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Weight: 99.6 g (together)
Dimensions: Height 8.4 cm (mother goddess), 6.4 cm (child)
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Bactrian gold appliqué depicting Aphrodite, found in Tillya tepe, Tomb VI, dated 1st century AD, 5 cm high, in the National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, accession number MK 04.40.9, and illustrated by Pierre Cambon, Afghanistan: Les trésors retrouvés, Collections du Musée National de Kaboul, 2007, p. 207, no. 135. Compare a closely related gold standing figure, dated 1st-2nd century AD and attributed to the North-West frontier of the Kushan Empire (modern-day Punjab), 5.1 cm high, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IS.13-1948. Compare a related gold standing female figure with an offering, India, 1st-2nd century, 7.8 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1987.142.309. Compare a related 22k gold figure of Avalokiteshvara, Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century, 8.3 cm high, formerly in the collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum, and sold at Zacke, Vienna, 11 April 2024, lot 235.
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Auction: TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism, 10th Apr, 2025
Galerie Zacke is privileged to present a remarkable two-day live auction event, featuring 684 works of art from China, Southeast Asia, India, and beyond.
The highlight is our flagship live auction on Day 1, showcasing lots 1-269, Among the many standout pieces are a ge-type octagonal bowl from the Southern Song dynasty, part of the Jules Speelman collection (lot 137), a rare 1st-2nd century gold figure of a mother goddess from the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum collection (lot 176), as well as a group of four parcel-gilt bronze Bodhisattvas from the Bao-Xiang Lo Palace and Temple, with Qianlong marks and of the period (lot 52).
Day 2 continues with our general auction (lots 270-684), offering seasoned collectors and new bidders alike an opportunity to enhance their collections. Learn more.
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