Page 6 - Indian and Himilayan Art
P. 6
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE MIDWEST COLLECTION
201
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF A STANDING TARA
NEPAL, 14TH CENTURY
5º in. (13.3 cm.) high
$15,000-20,000
PROVENANCE:
with Heeramaneck Galleries, New York.
Acquired by the current owner from the above in 1965.
PUBLISHED:
Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24184
202
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF VASUDEVA-KAMALAJA
NEPAL, 13TH/14TH CENTURY
Inlaid with hardstones
8æ in. (22.2 cm.) high
$40,000-60,000
PROVENANCE:
with Doris Wiener, New York.
Acquired by the current owner from the above in the 1960s.
PUBLISHED:
Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24171
This fnely rendered early Nepalese fgure of Vasudeva-
Kamalaja is the composite image of Vishnu (on the proper
right) and Lakshmi (on the proper left). Examples of this
iconographic composite are rare and technically challenging,
requiring the artist to capture two deities in one cohesive form.
Sophisticated casting, incorporating each deity’s unique traits
- such as the longer dhoti or the slightly longer hair beneath
the crown on Lakshmi’s side - distinguishes one deity from
the other.
This fgure of Vasudeva-Kamalaja exemplifes the bold yet
elegant corporeal sensibility of early Malla sculpture, achieved
by a contrast between the powerful frontal stance and the soft
rendering of a substantial yet languid physique. An example
with similar stylistic traits is the Vishnu in the Heeramaneck
Collection at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.72.1.8:
see P. Pal, The Art of Nepal, California, 1984, p.110, fg.S31).
The proportions of this Vishnu are similar, with thick, solid hips
and thighs topped by a slightly tapered waist beneath broad
shoulders. The treatment of the details, such as the simple
armlets, earrings and fower pattern on the dhoti found in
both fgures also points to the early Malla period. The elegant
rendering of features combined with the masterful illusion
of a supple surface in the present example make it a classic
example of Newari craftsmanship.
201
