Page 119 - March 23 2022 Boinghams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art

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A LARGE BLACK STONE BUST OF DEVI
WESTERN INDIA, GUJARAT, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY
20º in. (51.4 cm.) high
$12,000-18,000
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, New York, by repute.
Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 27 May 1965, lot 174.
Estate of Dorothy Beskind (1917-2014), New York.
Thence by descent.
Bonhams New York, 19 March 2019, lot 824.
In a bold representation of femininity and the power of the divine, the goddess
is carved straight on, splendidly bejeweled, with a composed expression.
Wielding weapons in her upper arms, the remnants of her lower, proper
left hand are raised in abhayamudra, the gesture of protection. Shaivite
iconography, such as her trident, sword and the crescent moon adorning her
braided chignon suggest the formidable goddess may be Durga, the demon-
fighting manifestation of Devi.

The twelfth sculpture has been variously attributed to originating from the
South Indian Hoysala Empire (1026-1343) and more recently, 12th century
North India. However, the stone and style of carving appears most related to
the western Indian workshops in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Compare the arcaded
niche, plump faces, curved brows, gentle smiles and tidy jatamukuta to those
features on a black stone stele of Umamaheshvara from Gujarat, eleventh
century, sold at Christies New York 13 September 2017, lot 614.

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