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Lot 10 Details
Select Indian Antiquities & Collectibles. 18 Apr-1 May 2013
An Ornate Prabha
View Dimensions Some of the finest bronze cast prabhas or arches for devotional figures come from the state of Kerala. This sculpted bronze Prabha from Kerala has exquisite floral work on it with the finest of details. The net-like floral work is multi-tiered, and at one place there are two open-mouthed 'makaras' or mythical water beasts. The uniformity of the pattern is the most commendable feature of this prabha. It is likely that this splendid arch was crafted for a figure of Lord Rama, which would have been once placed in the centre.The arch ends behind two seated figures: To the left is Lakshman, bare-bodied, crowned and holding a bow and arrow in his hands. He has a powerful look on his face, and is seated in a regal posture. The beautiful figure to the right is that of Sita, the consort of Rama. She too is crowned, richly bejeweled and holds objects in her hands. Both the figures have been cast in such a manner that the ends of the arch fit perfectly behind each of them.This artefact with traditional adornments is very graceful, and is an admirable bronze arch from the sixteenth century.
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Lot 11 Details
Lord Vishnu
View Dimensions Vishnu, one of the three principal deities of the Hindu triad, is revered widely as the God of protection. His consorts are Goddess Lakshmi, who is revered for material wealth and prosperity, and Bhudevi, who is worshipped as Mother Earth. Here, in this beautifully carved figure of stone, he is depicted in a graceful standing posture, with a very powerful and assertive look. He is portrayed here with four arms. In his upper two hands he would have held his attributes, a chakra and a conch, while his lower left hand is seen resting lightly on his hip. In some sculptures, this deity is seen holding a mace or a 'gada' which rests on the base on which he stands. His lower right hand is seen in the 'abhaya mudra' or the 'fear not' position, a sign of his benevolence and kindness towards his devotees. Here Vishnu is portrayed wearing an elongated crown. His upper body, which is bare, is adorned in jewelry. He also wears armbands, wristbands, anklets and an ornate waistband. His lower vestment, which is a dhoti, falls almost up to his ankles in fine folds. His eyes are large with arched eyebrows, portraying his benevolence, and he has a faint smile. The entire sculpture has very realistic modeling. Fine features like the facial muscles can be seen, and the stomach has a slight bulge due to the tight waist band. The work has great presence with the simple ornamentation adding to the charm.
Lot 12 Details
Durga on a Lion
View Dimensions Goddess Durga is one of the most popular and powerful manifestations of Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. It is said that at one time the 'asuras' or demons were wreaking havoc and misery in the celestial world of the Gods. One of them, Mahishasura, was extremely powerful and could change his form at will, thus escaping the Gods. He had received a boon that no man or mortal could kill him. The Gods therefore performed a religious ritual and created Goddess Durga, a extremely powerful goddess of paramount beauty with ten arms, who's 'vahana' or vehicle is a lion. Each one of the Gods and Goddesses gave her one of their choicest weapons to destroy Mahishasura.Goddess Durga chased Mahishasura over the three worlds, which shook in a terrible fight that ensued over days. To escape notice, the 'asura' finally assumed the form of a buffalo. However, Durga immediately saw through this disguise and killed the buffalo with the 'trishula' or trident given to her by Shiva, thus killing Mahisasura. Durga is therefore also called 'Mahisasuramardini'.This exquisite woodcarving portrays goddess Durga seated on the back of a lion with a trident in her raised hand. Durga is crowned and bejeweled. She looks all-powerful, and the lion looks menacing with large bulbous eyes, a thick mane and a powerful muscular body. This carving is vibrant and full of life. Multi-armed Goddess Durga seems to be poised to attack Mahishasura. This is quite a rare subject on wood and has been very well executed by a master artisan.
Lot 13 Details
Krishna with his Consorts
View Dimensions This exquisitely carved wooden fragment originates from Tamil Nadu and depicts Krishna with his consorts. Here, he is seen bare-bodied with an ample belly, bejeweled and seated majestically on the coils of the multi-hooded serpent Sesha. The hood of the serpent above his head offers protection. He is flanked by his consorts Satyabhama and Rukmini, to his left and right respectively. He holds a ball of butter in his right hand and the tasseled end of his angavastra in his left hand. His body is adorned with large necklaces, long earrings, wristbands and anklets. His face bears a radiant smile. Both Satyabhama and Rukmini are standing on pedestals. They are clad in saris and blouses. The folds of the saris flow down beautifully. Both are shown with eager faces. Rukmini, who is to the right of Krishna, bears a bird on her hand.
Lot 14 Details
Wooden Carved Panel
View Dimensions This is an exquisitely carved wooden panel from Kerala. It is part of a running frieze that depicts a very unique subject. A barren (childless) lady, probably a queen, along with her husband takes advice from a learned sage who helps them by preparing a potent medicine and offers it to the lady. The lady, after gratefully accepting and consuming the potion, begets a child. The carving on this panel being a running narrative makes it all the more unique and interesting, as a progressive picture enfolds before us. A figure showed repeatedly gives a clear understanding of the subject. Beginning from the left side of this panel, the first four figures are those of the old, wise, bearded sage. He is shown sitting with a pestle and preparing the herbal potion and thereafter giving it to the lady in her hand. The eighth figure is her husband who folds his hands in veneration as he is grateful to the sage. The lady consumes the medicine and thereafter she is portrayed nine times, each successive figure showing her with a larger belly, beautifully ending with a full-term pregnancy. Thereafter, she is shown in a semi-reclining position as she goes into labour. Helped by a mid-wife, she gives birth to a child. Interestingly, her husband bows before her as a gesture of his gratefulness to her for having borne him a child to be his heir. This gesture of the man prompts us to assume that he was a king, in need of an heir. However, the specific entities cannot be identified. The panel ends with the mid-wife bathing the child in warm water brought in pots, and finally the mother holding the baby. It is a wonderful narrative depicting motherhood and the joys that go with it. Besides, it was a painstaking job for a clever artisan to portray the lady nine times as she goes into pregnancy, each time with a more prominent belly. The artisan has also maintained perfect proportions of each figure within a limited space, and has done a commendable job of creating several figures within this length of wood.
Lot 15 Details
Malabar Box
View Dimensions This wooden box with brass fittings is popularly known as a 'dowry box', and comes from the Malabar region of South India. Such boxes were given to a bride by her parents on the occasion of her wedding, containing jewellery, money and other valuables. The shape of the box resembles a house, and therefore is very symbolic of the new home that the bride will be going to. The brass work on the front and back of the lid of this box is shaped artistically, and there is a decorative latch.These boxes are crafted from strong wood, generally cut into the required shapes and then put together. However, this particular example is rather special since the box and the lid have been carved from a single block of rosewood, which requires precision work. The brass work is of excellent quality and is hand beaten. The box is old and light in weight, unlike more recent reproductions. Such boxes were always considered prized possessions by their owners.
Lot 16 Details
Urali
View Dimensions This vessel is called an 'Urali' in the local parlance of Kerala, South India. The casting is perfect, and the gauge of the metal is very thick as compared to recent reproductions. The artistic work is superior, and the vessel extremely strong. These vessels were used in the large temples of Southern India for the preparation of sweet dishes, which were offered to the presiding deity of the temple and thereafter distributed to the devotees. They had to be placed on large logs of cindering wood when cooking, and had to be of a particular thickness to withstand the heat. They were also used for the preparation of ayurvedic medicines. However, these vessels are slowly becoming a thing of the past as such fine casting and excellent workmanship are rarely seen any more.
Lot 17 Details
The Durbar of Rama
View Dimensions Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the royal state of Mysore. These paintings are known for their elegance, light and sober colours, and attention to detail. Hindu deities have generally been the main subjects of Mysore paintings, as also scenes from Hindu mythology. Finely done Mysore paintings are rare and highly sought after.The process of making a Mysore painting involves many stages. First, drawing the preliminary sketch of the image on the base, which consists of cartridge paper pasted on a wooden sheet. Gold paint is then profusely applied on certain areas, and the rest of the work is finally filled with colour.This large and exquisite Mysore painting depicts Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, seated on his regal throne with his consort Sita. They are accompanied by Rama's brother Lakshmana and his ardent devotee the mighty Hanuman. Rama is shown seated in a relaxed posture, with his right arm resting on his knee. His vestments are all gold, bordered with fine work. Rama and Sita are wearing crowns and heavy jewellery of the type worn by Gods and Goddesses. Hanuman is bare-chested and wears a short, tight lower garment. His expression and features are noteworthy. Lakshmana is crowned too, however most of his body is behind the throne. His face is beaming with a suppressed pleasure. The throne is ornate with a lot of gold work. One needs to observe this painting closely to notice the fine details and designs.The excellent colour tone, expressions and composition, and the large scale of this work coupled with its high quality make it an important painting.
Lot 18 Details
Princess & Companion
View Dimensions This well finished Mughal painting is that of a princess and her companion. The two figures are seen standing at an open palace window. The beautiful princess is seen holding a small glass of wine, which she seems to be passing on to her companion, who stands next to her. The princess has one hand around her companion's shoulder, indicating a closeness between the two women. The princess wears a short, tight long-sleeved blouse and a fawn coloured embroidered skirt with a fine veil over her head. Her simple jewellery consists of a pearl necklace, earrings and bangles. She has beautiful but thoughtful eyes, thick eyebrows, long lustrous hair and a flawless complexion. Her companion wears a long-sleeved jama with fine embroidered flowers that can be seen through the veil she covers herself with. She also wears pearl jewellery with a prominent nose ring and a 'tikli' or head decoration. Their hands are henna-dyed. The quality of the work and finish are remarkable. The hand painted work looks like a photograph. It is quite obviously the hand of a well trained artist of the great Mughal court.
Lot 19 Details
Lady Awaits Lover
View Dimensions Ragamala literally translates as 'garland of musical notes'. Ragamala paintings synthesize music, poetry and painting. A Raga is a combination of notes. These notes are said to create a mood depending on their combination. Therefore there exist different seasons, occasions and times for singing these ragas. Painters in medieval times made pictorial translations for these notes. These resulted in Ragamala Paintings. This fine Ragamala painting is from the Amer School and represents Gauri Ragini, an evening raga associated with autumn and a contemplative mood. A pretty looking dusky lady, wearing a short tight choli and a long golden skirt, with an odhna covering her head, is seen seated on a carpet with her head bent low, awaiting her lover. She is longingly looking at a bed with a wonderful canopy. The lady has expressive eyes, a sharp nose and small lips. Her jewellery consists of gold and pearl necklaces, earrings, armbands, anklets and bangles. She holds a twig of leaves in her right hand. The house is well decorated; there are niches on the wall, holding long-necked bottles, and the floor has a beautiful green carpet with a red border. A bed is placed with two pillows on it. The doorway is adorned with a lovely embroidered curtain that has been rolled and tied. The terrace wall is delicately painted. Thickly foliated trees can be seen beyond the boundary wall. The four-post bed with a purple and gold canopy in the courtyard has a pillow kept in one corner. A focal point of this painting is the copious use of gold paint on the skirt of the lady, the thick bolster against which she rests, the border of the curtain within the house as well as on the curtain hanging on the doorway to the entrance to the house. A thick border around the canopy is also gold painted. There is a lovely red with green border sun-shade above the entrance to the house. There are various pictorial representations of Gauri Ragini. This unusual one shows the lover in waiting dressing her hair with flowers from a mango tree. One can see a branch of the tree in her hand with leaves and fruits. The bed next to her has been decorated with petals. She awaits the arrival of her lover. The four line script on the top describes the subject. It is very rare to find paintings of this quality and period in such mint condition.
Lot 20 Details
Bhakti Ratnavali Folio
View Dimensions This brilliant yet serene painting shows Yudhisthira, the eldest son of king Pandu of the Pandava clan, seated before Vidhura, a scholar and advisor, who holds prayer beads. They are to the left top, shown seated on a white prayer-rug, imparting words of wisdom on meditation. Vidhura tells Yudhisthira: "He who sits alone and worships the Lord only knows what is a good deed and what is Dharma." Below them a figure is shown seated on a rug with prayer beads in his hand. He is deeply engrossed in meditation. Blue-hued Lord Vishnu is seated on a white rug, wearing a yellow dhoti. He is crowned and he holds his attributes - the 'shankha', ' chakra', ' gada' and ' padma' - in his four hands. An entity seated on a white rug as well as Yudhishthira who appears again at the lower right corner, are seen giving alms to young boys. Except Yudhishthira, who is in fine clothing, wearing headgear, all the other figures are bare-bodied, wearing dhotis with their hair tied up behind their head. The artist has provided a rich green background to this painting, with flowers strewn around. Paintings from this Mewar series are vibrant and striking. The horizontal format, the widely spaced figures, plain background, fine outlining and mint condition make this a fine work. Other examples from this famous series are in the collection of the National Museum, New Delhi, as well as the Sarabhai Collection.
Lot 21 Details
View Dimensions This is a beautifully executed painting of the Mewar School, which flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries in the principality of Mewar in Rajasthan. The painting dwells on imparting of religious knowledge on the existence and greatness of Lord Brahma by a teacher, to his students. He says, "Brahma is supreme that is why he is the Guru. Brahma is ultimate - He who understands this truth is wise and who does not is ignorant. Shastras also say the same and the Vedas also say he is the Ultimate." In the forefront the teacher is seen twice, with his four students. This repetition shows continuity of teaching. They are all bare-bodied, with neatly worn colourful dhotis and angavastras (stoles worn on the upper half of the body). Their hair is tied in buns and decorated with flowers. All of them wear gold necklaces with pearls. Their foreheads are smeared with sandal paste. There is an air of reverence for the master as the students listen intently. In the upper half one can see a seated saint. His head is covered with a customary cap. He holds scriptures on the life of Shri Rama in his hand. A male, dressed similarly to the saint but without a cap, and a winged female entity sit before him. Two deities are shown within two glowing, golden nimbuses. The characters are all seen against a lavender grey background, giving prominence to all. The fine condition, delicate outlining and lovely usage of gold make this a striking work. Paintings from Mewar are known for their use of bright colours.
Lot 22 Details
Kunwar Sardar Singhji
View Dimensions This is a delicately executed portrait of a young Maharaja - Kunwar Sardarsinghji. The superbly finished miniature painting shows the young Maharaja, immaculately dressed in a long red and gold full-sleeved jama, standing on a low terrace balcony of his palace, holding a rose in his right hand. A nimbus behind his head signifies his royal status. Kunwar Sardar Singhji Bahadur is shown with a tender and expressive face. He is quite obviously very young. He has a lovely complexion and wears a spectacular and fashionable headgear. It is red in colour with gold braiding and precious stones. The artist has actually used a drop of paint so well that it looks as though the precious stone is set on the painting itself. The facial modeling is superb and a tuft of fine hair creeps in from behind his ear. A fine long vermillion mark adorns his forehead. Although young, his expression is firm. He also wears pearl necklaces and gold bracelets. His footwear is an embroidered 'mojri'. The flower in his hand is very delicately painted with each of the petals visible. The terrace has a low balustrade with fine foliated work on it, in gold. Behind this, one can see a lush flower bed with various flowers in bloom. The background is a pale jade colour and the deep blue sky shows thick rolling clouds. The detailing in this painting is magnificent with perfect use of colours and copious use of gold. The inscription says that the painting was done in Jaipur. Going by the name and the period it should be the portrait of Maharaja Sardar Singh of Bikaner who was born in 1818 and died in 1872 A.D.
Lot 23 Details
Couple in Conversation
View Dimensions The arrival of the British in India brought in new thoughts and ideas in the world of painting. Local artists got exposure to several methods which were till then unknown in the Indian peninsula. This beautifully painted miniature from the Company School portrays a well dressed couple standing opposite one another on a green lawn, fringed with tall and slender coconut trees and a line of shrubs. They are a newly married couple, expressing their love for each other. The groom wears a long, full-sleeved white dress of a fine fabric, flared at the bottom and pleated. He also wears a black, embroidered half-sleeved coat over it and has an orange coloured angavastra with a gold border, tied around his waist to hold a dagger, with part of it going over his left shoulder. The groom has a rounded face with a bushy moustache and a kind look. His forehead is smeared with ash and he wears a typical Maratha headgear. The bride is more richly dressed and heavily bejeweled. She wears a gold brocade blouse and a beautifully designed, multi-pleated orange coloured skirt. She wears multiple gold necklaces, ornate and large earrings, thick gold bangles, hair ornamentation and silver anklets. The sky has been painted in a manner that is typical of the era. It is a combination of sky-blue and ash-gray. One can also see that the western tradition of showing the shadows has crept into this painting. The entire painting is vibrant, and the fusion of Indian and British elements also makes it a culturally interesting work.
Lot 24 Details
Ramayana Illustration
View Dimensions This brightly painted folk paper painting is part of a continuous painted theme, and would have been part of a set used by 'Chitrakathis'. The Chitrakathis were gypsies who wandered from village to village as traditional storytellers. Their audience mainly consisted of children. The stories were episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. One person would hold up a page while another would narrate the story to the audience. As the crowds were large and seated at a distance, the figures were painted in a large size so that the viewers could manage to see from far. Colours used were bright so as to attract children. It is important to understand that the artists who painted these folios had talented hands. This is evident from the smooth and fine outlining that is done. The rest of the finishing and colours were selected with the objective of entertaining the audience. The theme of this particular example is Sita being forced to marry Ravana. The blue-skinned, ten-headed figure with twenty arms is king Ravana of Lanka. He is seen holding swords, knives and daggers of all size and shape. He has a terrifying look on his face. Ravana wears gold necklaces and gold bracelets. He wears a red dhoti with a green fabric around his waist. Sita has a terrified look on her face and raises her hands above her head in fear, as Meghanada, the son of Ravana, is all set to attack her from the other side. Sita wears a blue blouse and red sari. She is bejeweled. Meghanada, also blue-skinned, has long flowing hair. He holds a bow in his left hand and a long sword in his raised right hand. The artist has painted the figures with a voluptuous sense of colour. Paintings such as this one would have served the same purpose as cartoons and animation in today's world.
Lot 1 Details
Indian Period Jewelry. 11-30 April 2013
AN EMERALD BEAD NECKLACE
Lot 2 Details
AN EMERALD, DIAMOND AND PEARL PENDANT
Lot 3 Details
A PEARL, EMERALD AND RUBY PENDANT
Lot 4 Details
A GEMSET 'FISH' NECKLACE
Lot 5 Details
A PAIR OF 'PARROT' EAR PENDANTS
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