Page 117 - March 23 2022 Boinghams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art

453
A RED SANDSTONE HEAD OF A DIVINITY
INDIA, WESTERN RAJASTHAN, 12TH-13TH CENTURY
11Ω in. (29.2 in.) high
$6,000-8,000
PROVENANCE:
Sotheby's New York, 21 September 1995, lot 244.
The Ismail Merchant Collection; Christie's South Kensington,
7 October 2009, lot 168.

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTOR
454
A BUFF SANDSTONE RELIEF OF NARASIMHA
INDIA, UTTAR PRADESH, 10TH-11TH CENTURY
18 in. (45.7 cm.) high
$15,000-20,000
PROVENANCE:
Christie's New York, 17 September 1999, lot 39.
This crisply-carved sandstone stele captures the scene as
Vishnu transforms into his half-man, half-lion avatar, Narasimha,
in order to vanquish the demon-king Hiranyakshipu. Vishnu, in
the form of his boar-avatar, Varaha, had recently killed the
demon-king’s brother, Hiranyaksha. To prepare for vengeance,
Hiranyakshipu enlisted the help of the god Brahma, who
granted the king the power to not be killed by neither man nor
animal, inside nor outside, at day nor night, on ground nor sky,
and by weapons animate nor inanimate.
Later, at dusk (neither day nor night), Hiranyakshipu discovers
that his son, Prahlad, had become a recent devotee of Vishnu
and advances to kill him out of anger. Suddenly, Vishnu, in the
form of Narasimha (neither man nor animal) lunges from a
pillar (neither inside nor outside), props the demon king on his
knee (neither ground nor sky) and disembowels him with his
claws (weapons neither animate nor inanimate). This precise
moment is depicted in the present stele, with Narasimha
fiercely pulling opposite ends of his mane as he defeats
the hubristic king. Donor figures, one likely representing
Prahlad, sit at his feet. Mythical vyala mounted upon diminutive
elephants frame the lively scene, along with more seated and
standing attendant figures.
Representations of Narasimha in northern and central India
reveal that this avatar of Vishnu was worshiped in both
zoomorphic and anthropomorphic forms since the Gupta
period. As is the case in the present example, Narasimha is
depicted with a strong human body, expressive lion head, and
a divine second pair of arms.
Compare the present lot with a sandstone stele of Narasimha
with similar iconography and composition sold at Sotheby’s
New York, 23 March 2007, lot 17.

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