Page 109 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

71
A BLACKSTONE PRABHA
Northeastern India, Pala period, 11th/12th century
Beautifully carved, celestial attendants and Wisdom Buddhas
flank a central nimbus underneath the hallowed parasol.
18 x 27 in. (45.8 x 68.6 cm)
$20,000 - 30,000

印度東北部 帕拉時期 十一／十二世紀 黑石佛光碑

Incorporating a high concentration of mica that sparkles as it catches From out beyond the halo, where once the mind of the enlightened
the light, and carved with profuse foliage covering every inch in either would have appeared, spirited vines crescendo with plump mangoes
high or low relief, this glorious prabha epitomizes the high opulence of either side of the ‘face of glory’ (kirtimukha). They frame winged
later Pala period sculpture. Compare the abundantly carved surface kinnaras of each sex, sculpted with rotund bellies that link them to the
of an 11th-century stele of Surya, and the consistent presence of genus of dwarven ganas in early Indian art. On either side, Akshobhya
attendant figures behind a 12th-century masterpiece of Buddha, and Amitabha, sit serene in meditation, displaying their respective
published in Lefevre & Boussac, Chefs-d’oeuvre du delta du Gange, mudras. While above, cloudburst vidyadharas, offer their garlands and
Paris, 2007, pp. 198-9 & 242-3, nos. 67 & 91. support consorts, riding on their hind legs, bestowing blessings with
cheerful expressions to the viewer.

Provenance
Private American Collection
Acquired from Spink & Son, Ltd., London, July 1987

INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART | 107