11th Apr, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
241
A RARE MOTTLED RED SANDSTONE HEAD OF A JAIN TIRTHANKARA, MATHURA, KUSHAN PERIOD
Sold for €4,420
including Buyer's Premium
India, late 2nd century. Finely carved, the face incised with almond-shaped eyes, elegant nose and full lips forming a gentle smile, flanked by pierced ears, the hair arranged in distinctive S-shaped curls.
Provenance: Austrian private collection, acquired in Bangladesh. A private collection in Vienna, Austria, acquired from the above in 1993.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks, scratches, losses, small chips, flaking.
Weight: 7.7 kg
Dimensions: Height 20 cm (excl. base), 36.7 cm (incl. base)
Mounted to a modern stand with circular ‘halo’ backing. (1)
Expert’s note: This small but rare head once belonged to the figure of a Jina, one of the saviors of the Jain religion. The absence of cranial protuberance indicates that it is not a figure of Buddha. The mottled red stone as well as the style of the carving both point at the Mathura region as the geographical origin. It appears that Jain images were very popular in the Mathura region during that period, even more than images of the Buddha himself.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related red sandstone head of a male figure from Mathura with similar S-shaped curls, also dated late 2nd century, in the St. Louis Art Museum, object number 3:1970.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 82
Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 57,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A sandstone head of Buddha, Mathura, Kushan period, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and material with similar wear and weathering. Note the different subject and the size (33 cm).
India, late 2nd century. Finely carved, the face incised with almond-shaped eyes, elegant nose and full lips forming a gentle smile, flanked by pierced ears, the hair arranged in distinctive S-shaped curls.
Provenance: Austrian private collection, acquired in Bangladesh. A private collection in Vienna, Austria, acquired from the above in 1993.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks, scratches, losses, small chips, flaking.
Weight: 7.7 kg
Dimensions: Height 20 cm (excl. base), 36.7 cm (incl. base)
Mounted to a modern stand with circular ‘halo’ backing. (1)
Expert’s note: This small but rare head once belonged to the figure of a Jina, one of the saviors of the Jain religion. The absence of cranial protuberance indicates that it is not a figure of Buddha. The mottled red stone as well as the style of the carving both point at the Mathura region as the geographical origin. It appears that Jain images were very popular in the Mathura region during that period, even more than images of the Buddha himself.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related red sandstone head of a male figure from Mathura with similar S-shaped curls, also dated late 2nd century, in the St. Louis Art Museum, object number 3:1970.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 82
Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 57,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A sandstone head of Buddha, Mathura, Kushan period, 2nd/3rd century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and material with similar wear and weathering. Note the different subject and the size (33 cm).
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