Page 26 - Bonhams Image of Devotion Hong Kong December 2, 2021

1008
A BLACKSTONE STELE OF NAGARAJAS
KASHMIR, 9TH/10TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no.4518
33 x 29 cm (13 x 11 1/2 in.)

HKD250,000 - 400,000

克什米爾 九/十世紀 黑石那伽蛇王像

Nagas appear frequently in Buddhist literature and art, represented as
autochthonous, anthropomorphic serpent beings said to inhabit bodies of water
and the roots of great trees, often guarding hidden treasures. In one instance,
Buddha is said to have entrusted his teaching of the “Perfection of Wisdom in One
Hundred Lines” (Satasahasrikaprajnaparamita) to their safekeeping under the sea
(Buswell Jr. & Lopez, “Nagas”, in The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism).

This rare stone stele depicts two kings of the serpent realm (nagarajas), who are
said to rule from magnificent underwater palaces and possess a range of magical
powers, including masquerading as humans. There are eight great naga kings
in total, which is suggested by the pair’s cobra hoods, each consisting of seven
heads representing the other kings. Their pointed crowns, musculature, and other
stylistic features compare with a 9th-century Kashmiri masterpiece of Harihara
in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (5835) and a stele of Shiva and Parvati in
the Cincinnati Art Museum (2002.496).

Provenance
Private European Collection, acquired in 1989

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