A BRONZE FIGURE OF BHAIRAVA, NORTHERN DECCAN, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A BRONZE FIGURE OF BHAIRAVA, NORTHERN DECCAN, 17TH-18TH CENTURY South India. Finely cast, the four-armed wrathful deity seated in lalitasana upon a waisted pedestal raised on a tiered rectangular plinth, centered by decapitated heads, the right leg pendant and the left folded across the seat. The upper hands hold a trident and a damaru, while the lower hands carry a sword and a skull cup. He is clad in a closely fitted dhoti and adorned with armlets, bracelets, anklets, and necklaces, the body modeled with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. The head is surmounted by a tall conical headdress, the figure displaying a rich, naturally grown dark brown patina with areas of warm wear. Expert’s note: The extensive wear visible on the present figure is characteristic of prolonged devotional use. Small Indian bronzes of this type were repeatedly handled, ritually bathed, anointed, cleaned, and polished during worship, gradually wearing down the most exposed areas of their surfaces. The effect is often most pronounced on the face, where the delicately modeled eyes, nose, and mouth may eventually become entirely effaced. Far from being merely a condition issue, such wear does provide compelling evidence of generations of ritual handling and the figure’s long history as an object of active devotion. Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm Literature comparison: Compare a closely related pair of Uma-Maheshvara figures, with similar attributes, posture, and modeling, illustrated on the cover of Thomas Eugene Donaldson, Siva-Parvati and Allied Images, 2007, as well as in Vol. I, p. 303, and Vol. II, C-82.

图片