Page 94 - Bonhams Himalayan, Indian Art march 2015

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A copper of figure of Shiva Sukhasanamutri
South India, Chola period, 11th century
Resplendent, seated in sukhasana (royal ease) with his right leg pendant in front of the lotus
throne, adorned with abundant regalia including the ornate crown with sirischakra on the
reverse and a five-pronged keyura medallion at the center of his tall headdress.
17 3/8 in. (44 cm) high
$300,000 - 500,000

Shiva is depicted here with youth and vigor. His arched back and broad shoulders manifest
a powerful frame resembling the head of a bull – a Tamil Nadu aesthetic prescription that
traces back to the 11th century (cf., Nagaswamy, Timeless Delight, Ahmedabad, 2006,
p. 60). With his four hands, he holds the antelope, symbolizing the soul longing to reach
Shivahood, and displays abhaya mudra, granting it divine protection. With varada mudra,
he gently invites the soul to seek release from ignorance, while his axe embodies his power
to cut through its fetters.

Initially coupled on a larger pedestal with an image of Parvati sold at Sotheby’s, New York,
March 27, 1991, lot 54, this regal figure depicts Shiva at his most benign – the giver
of knowledge.

The pair are closely related to a large and important bronze of Shiva in the form of Kalyana-
sundara held in the Sarabhai Foundation, Ahmedabad (ibid., pp. 140-9, no. 10). The rings
around their thumbs and forefingers consist of similar tapered bands (cf. ibid., p. 147), and
they wear a cluster of three bangles graduating in diameter around their wrists. Their waist
cloths depict a central lion-face clasp with loops on either side, while each sports a bahu-
valaya (shoulder ornament) that drapes over the right shoulder and flails outwards
towards the bicep.

The three examples are modeled with a degree of naturalism (particularly noticeable around
the knees), situating them before later Chola bronzes that were given over to rigid textual
prescriptions. Nagaswamy confidently attributes the Kalyana-sundara to the school of
Rajaraja the Great (r. 985-1014), suggesting a similar date for the present sculpture. The
illustrious martial king was an ardent devotee of Shiva who built the grand Brihadisvara temple
of Thanjavur. This Shiva, brimming with strength and assurance, displays a confident Lord
produced at the height of the Chola Empire.

Provenance
Sotheby’s, New York, 28 October 1991, lot 95
Private US Collection

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