Page 58 - 2021 March 16th Indian, Himalayan and Tibetan Art, Bonhams NYC New York

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A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF APPAR
TAMIL NADU, VIJAYANAGARA PERIOD, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY
21 3/8 in. (54.3 cm) high
$50,000 - 70,000

The amiable Saivite saint Appar greets us with his hands raised in anjali mudra. While many
sculptures of Appar had separately cast shovels which have long been lost, here the attribute
has had the benefit of being integrally cast, resting in the crook of his left arm still. Appar’s
shovel reminds us of his exemplary dedication to temple gardens. One of the four primary
South Indian Saivite nayanars, he is immortalized as a great poet-saint. Appar contributed
a momentous body of hymns in the 7th century as bhakti coalesced into a lasting religious
movement, emphasizing ecstatic devotional worship and the experience of God.

This figure is modeled in the Vijayanagara style, with robust proportions showing well-defined
arms and shins poised atop a crisp lotus pedestal. The artist has paid special attention to the
garment around his legs, mimicking a woven fabric. The sculpture compares favorably to other
Vijayanagara Appars sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 21 March 2012, lot 281 and held by The Art
Institute of Chicago (1970.552) and the Norton Simon Museum (F.1972.45.02.S). A very closely
related example sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 19 September 1996, lot 150.

Provenance
Private French Collection, acquired in the early 20th century
Private UK Collection

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