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
Sold for €46,800
including Buyer's Premium
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.
#expert video
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.
#expert video
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