A GRAY STONE STELE OF LAKSHMI-NARAYANA, NEPAL, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A GRAY STONE STELE OF LAKSHMI-NARAYANA, NEPAL, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY Finely carved in openwork, the eight-armed deity depicted standing in samabhanga atop a lotus pedestal, in a composite form, the right half of the figure representing Vishnu, holding his characteristic attributes, including the chakra, conch, mace, and lotus-bud stem, accompanied by his vehicle, Garuda, standing at his feet, while the left half represents Lakshmi, holding a sutra, lotus, mirror, and water pot, with her vehicle, the tortoise, below. The deity is clad in a diaphanous sanghati that leaves the torso exposed and is richly adorned with beaded jewelry. The serene face is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes beneath gently arched brows, centered by a raised urna, broad nose, and full lips, flanked by elaborate earrings and surmounted by a richly embellished foliate tiara. The figure is backed by a large, pointed mandorla bordered by prominent beaded bands. Dimensions: Height 38.7 cm (excl. stand), 42.6 cm (incl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) Lakshmi-Narayana is the dual representation of the Hindu deities Vishnu, also known as Narayana, and his consort, Lakshmi, traditionally featured in their abode, Vaikuntha. This dual manifestation of the supreme deities of Vaishnavism is explored in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Skanda Purana, and in other scriptures. Discussing a contemporaneous sandstone stele from 10th-century Rajasthan in the Brooklyn Museum (86.191), Joan Cummins remarks that depictions of Lakshmi-Narayana are one of few instances where we see Vishnu in the sensuous tribhanga pose rather than standing straight and erect (see the exhibition catalog Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, Frist Art Museum, 2011, p. 80, no. 14). She also points out that Lakshminarayana images offer rare instances of coupled images where a female Hindu goddess is depicted on the same scale as the male: ‘Where couples are so equally represented, they are to be worshiped together, as two halves of a whole’. Literature comparison: Compare a related earlier stone stele of Lakshmi-Narayana, a similar composite deity of Vishnu and Lakshmi, dated 10th-11th century, formerly in the Dallas Museum of Art and returned to the Government of Nepal in 2021. Compare a related stone stele of Avalokiteshvara, 39.4 cm high, dated to the 15th century, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.82.40. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 7 March 2025 Price: EUR 14,300 Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the size (44.6 cm), Buddhist subject, and inscription. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2019, lot 932 Price: USD 12,575 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the size (44.5 cm).

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