Page 384 - Chinese Art Auction April 25, 2020 2020 Galerie Zacke

455
A RARe ‘MIThuNA’ sTele
OF A lOVINg cOuPle,
ORIssA, 13Th ceNTuRy

Carved and engraved buff-to-reddish
colored sandstone. Once part of the
subsidiary decoration of a temple facade,
the figures of this bejeweled couple
embrace while peering rapturously into
the observer’ eyes. Their full bodies and
broad, detailed features are characteristic
of architectural sculptures produced in
thirteenth-century Orissa, a region in
northeast India that was noted for its
temples, particularly those built from the
tenth through the thirteenth century, often
distinguished by figures in astonishingly
curved, acrobatic and erotic poses. Couples
such as this pair are understood to have
multiple meanings, ranging from an obvious
celebration of life’s pleasures to the more
metaphorical symbolism of a human soul’s
longing for union with the divine.

Provenance: Spink & Son LTD, London. An
English collector, by repute acquired from
the above between c. 1980 and 1990.
condition: Absolutely original condition
with weathering, wear and occasional losses
as visible on the images at www.zacke.
at. Overall superb state of preservation,
especially given the age of this statue!
Weight: 24 kg (including the base)
Dimensions: Height 57 cm (the statue) and 64
cm (with the base)
A Hindu temple was often envisioned as the
world’s central axis, in the form of a mountain
inhabited by a god. The temple itself was
therefore worshipped. This was done by
circumambulation (walking around the exterior,
in this case in a counterclockwise direction) and
by viewing its small inner sanctum. The outside
of the temple was usually covered with myriad
reliefs: some portrayed aspects of the god
within or related deities, others represented
the mountain’s mythological inhabitants. From
the earliest times on, iconic representations
of deities and holy figures were augmented by
auspicious images, such as beautiful women,
musicians, and loving couples (mithunas).
Associated modern base. (2)
AucTION ResulT
cOMPARIsON
Compare with a closely
related statue at Sotheby’s
New york in Indian and
Southeast Asian Works of
Art, 19 March 2008, lot 277,
sold for USD $17,500.

estimate euR 3.000,-
Starting price EUr 1.500,-

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