A LARGE SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-12TH CENTURY

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A LARGE SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-12TH CENTURY Expert’s note: This superb head is distinguished by its tall crown carved with extraordinary virtuosity, its tiered structure pierced almost entirely into openwork. The deep undercutting, luxuriant ornament, and dramatic interplay of solid and void belong unmistakably to the Chandela sculptural idiom perfected at Khajuraho. Its composition, however, reaches back to the royal imagery of Gupta Vishnu sculpture. A fifth-century sandstone head of Vishnu from Mathura in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1942.498, similarly arranges paired rampant composite animals and suspended festoons around the central emblem of its crown. The present work transforms this compact Gupta formula into a soaring, almost architectural structure, creating an exceptionally elaborate expression of Vishnu’s divine kingship. Finely carved, the serene face marked by almond-shaped eyes, elegantly arched brows, and full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by elongated ears suspending large circular beaded earrings. The head is surmounted by a tall, elaborately carved and pierced miter crown composed of two openwork tiers of confronted rearing vyala connected by pendent garlands, separated by molded bands and crowned by a domed cap of three rows of lotus petals. Dimensions: Height 35 cm (excl. stand), 61.5 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on an associated stand. (2) The Chandela dynasty (c. 831-1203 AD) became a great power in Central and Northern India during the 10th century. Thereafter successive rulers built magnificent temples at Khajuraho and elsewhere in their realm, to commemorate their military victories. As their influence expanded, their exquisite architectural style became admired across much of India, as indeed, it is now around the world. Chandela kings commissioned some of the finest temples in India. The best known of these today are in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, now a village but once the Chandela capital. Other temples, no longer standing, were located throughout their realm. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related head of Vishnu from Khajuraho, dated second half of the 10th-first half of the 11th century, 37 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, accession number EA1995.73. Compare a related sandstone head of Vishnu, probably Uttar Pradesh, North India, illustrated by Alice N. Heeramaneck, Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture, Verona, 1979, no. 85, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 4 June 1994, lot 75, and recently with Kapoor Galleries, New York. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2014, lot 37 Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, manner of carving, and stone with similar facial features and tall crown.

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