May catalogue: Asian Art Society

JUNE iss UE

WHO WE arE

The Asian Art Society features an online catalogue every month listing quality works of Asian art that have been thoroughly vetted by our select members, who are the in-house experts.

By bringing together a group of trusted dealers specializing in Asian art, our platform offers a unique collection of works of art that collectors will not find anywhere else online. To ensure the highest standards, gallery membership is by invitation only and determined by a selection committee of influential gallerists.

/asianartSociety

Cover image: A duan stone table screen. presented by Rastin Fine Art Ltd p. 22

FR ien DS

i C s B s

To read the Spring journal apply for a membership here:

https://snuffbottlesociety.org/en/Membership

Founded as the Chinese Snuff Bottle Society of America in 1968 and renamed the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society in 1974, membership in the Society includes:

We are proud of our alliance with the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society. This group is devoted to the study and appreciation of snuff bottles and its related art forms. The ICSBS is the largest international organization of snuff bottle collectors, bringing together members living in 31 different countries worldwide.

International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society

2601 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Telephone: (410) 467 9400

Facsimile: (410) 243 3451

E-mail: office.icsbs@gmail.com

Website: www.snuffbottlesociety.org

snuff_bottle_society

International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society

- A subscription to our full-color illustrated scholarly Journal three times per year.

- A membership directory by state and country, including dealer listings.

- Full access to our website with member-only pages.

- Regional chapter meetings and related activities in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

- An invitation to our annual International Conventions which include multiple formal lectures, handson workshops presented by leading experts, visits to museums and private collections. The Conventions have dealer exhibitions where you will see and handle the best available snuff bottles in the world.

- Opportunities to establish relationships and share information with other collector-members to increase your knowledge of your own collection above what you may have already experienced. This also includes discussions on our website forum, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SPRING 2023

JUNE ar TWO r K s

pieces are published and changed each month. The objects are presented with a full description and corresponding dealers contact information Unlike auction sites or other platforms, we empower collectors to interact directly with the member dealers for enquiries and purchases by clicking on the e-mail adress.

In order to guarantee the quality of pieces available in the catalogues, objects are systematically validated by all our select members, who are the in-house experts. Collectors are therefore encouraged to decide and buy with complete confidence. In addition to this the Asian Art Society proposes a seven-day full money back return policy should the buyer not feel totally satisfied with a purchase. Items are presented by categories please check the table of contents.

Feel free to ask the price if the artwork is listed with a price on request.

Tibet

Mongolia

19th century

Mineral pigment and gold on cloth

11 cm x 9 cm

provenance:

Acquired from Suzy Lebasi, Australia on 4 November 2002

Boris Kaspiev, Australia

2002 年 11 月 04 日從蘇西·勒巴斯 澳洲收藏購得

鮑里斯·卡斯皮耶夫澳洲收藏

Price: 1.200 euros

A richly gold painted Mongolian painting (Burhany Zurag) of the red Raktakruddha Varahi, the consort of Chakrasamvara, encircled by flames, dances in ardhaparyanka asana on a corpse, which lies on a sun disc and lotus within a crossed triangular mount, symbolizing method and wisdom. She brandishes a kharttika (chopper) in her outstretched right hand, and in her left hand she holds a blood-filled skull cup. In the crook of her left hand is a khatvanga, or staff. Her naked body is adorned with a crown of five dry skulls, bone ornaments and a garland of freshly severed heads. In her flaming red hair is a sow’s head, which gazes up to the paradise realm of dakinis. Seated above her in the clouds is the four-armed prajnaparamita. Raktakruddha Varahi is surrounded by the four directional dakinis. Clockwise from top left – Padma dakini; Karma dakini; Vajra dakini and Ratna dakini. The visualization of Raktahruddha Varahi is employed in the chod practice for cutting through strong attachments. On the reverse, there are six sets of the blessing and empowerment mantra ‘Om Ah Hum’ for each of the si x figures on the front side. ReferenceMongolian Buddhist Art, Volume 1 part 2 Thangkas, Appliques and Embroideries, Serindia,USA, 2011, plate 309 page 700 for similar.

For more information, please visit: https://hollywood-galleries.com/shop-1/ols/products/ xn--a-painting-depicting-raktakruddha-varahi--gj49d b1ai3gbwo1m1b12is1h163m0i6anfqz61h01sei7l7t5h455 diqyh

a ma NU s C rip T pag E

O f m a H aya Na sUT ra

Tibet

14-15th century

Mineral pigment and gold on paper

40 cm x 12 cm

provenance: Acquired from Suzy Lebasi, Australia on 4 July 2007

Boris Kaspiev, Australia

來源

2007 年 07 月 04 日從蘇西·勒巴

斯澳洲收藏購得

鮑里斯·卡斯皮耶夫澳洲收藏

Price: 3.000 euros

Hollywood Galleries

T.: +852 2559 8688

+852 2541 6338

E.: hollywoodgalleries@gmail.com

W: www.hollywood-galleries.com

A fine manuscript page on a blue-black ground, with text, and fine and bright illuminations of two Bodhisattvas possibly Maitreya in white color and Prajñāpāramitā in yellow color. Middle Tibetan inscription: Mahayana Sutra pronounced in Sanskrit, in a style of Kangyur ‘Translation of the Word’. This page came with a yellow silk cover, as well as a page of text, with the script on both sides. The ac companying pages have been preserved separately.

For more information, please visit: https://hollywood-galleries.com/shop-1/ols/products/ xn--a-manuscript-page-of-mahayana-sutra--0j31d5xa 32m872da7389arwuo24dgjyfleqbyb5ly0f173dulcns9av zukzbp59g

T WO pai NT i N gs

d E pi CT i N g pair O f

ya B-y U m i N da NC i N g

fO rm 兩張西藏約十六

Tibet

Circa 16th century

Mineral pigment and gold on cloth

10 cm x 9 cm

provenance:

Acquired from Suzy Lebasi, Australia on 18 October 2000

Boris Kaspiev, Australia

來源

尼泊尓私人收藏

2000 年 10 月 18 日從蘇西·勒巴斯

澳洲收藏購得

鮑里斯·卡斯皮耶夫澳洲收藏

Price: 1.500 euros

Hollywood Galleries

T.: +852 2559 8688

+852 2541 6338

E.: hollywoodgalleries@gmail.com

W: www.hollywood-galleries.com

Each depicting two deities in yab-yum holding bell and drum and dancing on lotus, – one group on the painting in tones of green; the other painting group in red.For more information, please visit: https://hollywood-galleries.com/shop-1/ols/products/ xn--two-paintings-depicting-pair-of-yab-yum-indancing-form--ki83ggw4b34t4ga907htm3oewqbrju9t5 xcuxdthar004bhiza1jc7y9hr56m

s NU ff BOTTLE

China Glass Bottle: 1836-1896

Height: 2.4” (6.2 cm) (excluding the stopper)

provenance:

Sotheby’s Billingshurst, December 1, 1992, lot 1728

The Chepsted Collection

publication:

Edwin palmer and Clare Chu, The Chepsted Notebook, A Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 2013, p. 64, no. 55 price on request

A milk-white glass snuff bottle, of flattened, rectangular form, the narrow sides with mock mask and ring handles, overlaid with six colors, blue, pale yellow, yellow, pink, green, and black, carved on one side with a crab grasping a spray of flowers, a teapot with a cup and some fruit, and two bats in flight; the reverse with two butterflies, flowers and a rock, with a seal, Jixiang, in relief, dated Autumn 1836 or most likely Autumn 1896.

A single crab with a stalk of reed or grain symbolizes harmony. The crab also represents the Autumn Festival which occurs along the coast of China when soft shell crabs are eaten and pots of ginger wine are drunk. It is also the time of year when chrysanthemums flower.

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Clare Chu Asian Art LLC

M.:+ 1.310.980.4084

E.: clarechuasianart@gmail.com

W.: www.clarechuasianart.com

s NU ff BOTTLE

China

Aragonite 1765-1850

Height: 2” (4.9 cm) (excluding the stopper)

provenance:

The Janos Szekeres Collection

The Mary and George Bloch Collection

The Monimar Collection

publication:

Clare Lawrence, Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom, the Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1996, pp. 74-75, no. 31. 120 price on request

An aragonite snuff bottle, of flattened, rounded form, the banded white stone carved in relief with the two sides of the Austrian coin; one side with a bust of Maria Theresa Thaler encircled by an inscription, the reverse with the Coat of Arms of Austria encircled by the inscription, Archi Daust Dux 1765.

Known as aragonite in the West, this stone was only available to the Chinese in limited quantities and the use of the stone appears to be restricted to small objects such as snuff bottles. The Chinese were trading at this time with a variety of European countries including the Austro-Hungarian Empire and their coinage would certainly have been handled by the Chinese traders. Maria Theresa (1717-80) is depicted here in her forties when she was Archduke of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Clare Chu Asian Art LLC

M.:+ 1.310.980.4084

E.: clarechuasianart@gmail.com

W.: www.clarechuasianart.com

dUa N s TONE

r ECTa N g UL ar

Ta BLE s C r EEN

China

Overall height: 77,5 cm

Overall width: 64,1 cm

provenance:

Knapton Rasti Asian Art, circa 2005 price on request

A duan stone rectangular table screen, the natural stone with cream tones over a reddish-brown simulating clouds covering stars at night, set into a softwood frame and stand

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

a m OTTLE d d EE pBL a CK, gr E y a N d

C r E am Jad E CON g

China

Height: 20,3 cm

provenance: private Hong Kong collection price on request

A mottled deep-black, grey and cream jade cong, the tall tapering rectangular body enclosed by two tubular apertures, the natural design in the stone reminiscent of rockwork and clouds

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

A grey stone scholar’s rock of irregular rectangular form with central naturally formed aperture and opening to one side resembling an animal head, wood stand.

a gr E y s TONE s CHOL ar’s rOCK

China Width: 35 cm price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com W: www.rastifineart.com

Japan

Taishô (1912 – 1926)

1915

metal casting

Height: 20 cm. (7.9 in.)

Width: 16.5 cm. (6.5 in.) (maximum width)

provenance:

Purchased in Japan, 2003

Price: 1.500 USD

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Alan Kennedy

M: +1 646 753-4938

E: kennedyalan@hotmail.com

W: www.alankennedyasianart.com

A metal version of a traditional court hat made in wood, silk and paper. The metal ‘hat’ replicates the patterning and shape of an actual court hat (kanmuri in Japanese). On the underside of the ‘hat’ there is a dated inscription in raised characters, indicating that this bottom plaque was probably cast in a mold, as was the rest of the ‘hat’.

The likely reason for the making of such an unusual object was that it served as a gift to a court official to commemorate an imperial ceremony. In 1868, at the beginning of the Meiji period (1868 – 1912), Japan underwent a rapid period of modernization that was modeled after the industrialized West. The Japanese imperial court followed certain European court protocols in dress and in titles, while retaining some Japanese traditional imperial rituals and customs. This ‘hat’ represents the continuation of Japanese customs during the Westernization of Japan.

CO mm E m O raT i VE i mp E ria L COU r T HaT

B O rO H a NTEN

Japan

19th century Cotton and hemp string

115 x 122,5 cm

price on request

A hanten (袢纏) is a winter coat and an item of traditional Japanese clothing.

Boro (in Japanese "Boro" means "rag") are textiles obtained by a succession of repairs made generation after generation on bedspreads and clothes. They were made by the poorest of farmers and fishermen between the 18th and early 20th centuries in northeastern Japan. This cultural practice has long since disappeared. The unused Boro is discarded, thrown away, and sometimes even destroyed voluntarily by a Japanese society embarrassed by its past; in fact, few of them have reached us

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Galerie Mingei

M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

Ji NB aO ri

Japan

Momoyama period period (15731603)

Wool imported from Holland, velvet and silk brocade

100 x 73 cm

provenance:

The mon sumitate yotsum (four slanted squares) is the coat of arms of the Sassa family. price on request

The jinbaori is a type of haori, one of the short sleeveless coats, which a high-ranking samurai may wear over his armor.

With the arrival of the Portuguese in 1543, Japan became involved in world trade. High-ranking samurai wore luxurious combat overcoats (jinbaori) made from expensive imported fabrics. This elegant jinbaori from the Momoyama period is a very rare type that belonged to a high-ranking warlord or warrior associated with the daimyo or shogun Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582). The waistcoat is made of wool imported from the West, an exotic material from late 16th century Japan. On the back of the vest, the mon sumitate yotsum (four inclined squares) which is the coat of arms of the Sassa family.

This bright yellow jacket probably belonged to Sassa Narimasa (February 6, 1536 – July 7, 1588), one of the ten men chosen by the shogun to belong to the Kurohagoromo-shu / Kuro-horo-shu ("Black Jacket Group "). In 1588, Sassa Narimasa committed ritual suicide (seppuku) by order of Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Sassa Narimasa, also known as Kura-no-suke, was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period in Azuchi-Momoyama. Entering the service of daimyo Oda Nobunaga at the age of 14, he remained faithful to his lord throughout his rise to power. He was a member of the so-called Echizen Sanninshu (Echizen’s triumvirate) along with Maeda Toshiie and Fuwa Mitsuharu.

Galerie Mingei

M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

sU mm E r Ji NB aO ri

Japan

Edo period 18th-19th century

Wild silk

Mon :Mitsuwa-chigai (top) - three interconnected chains

Migi-mitsudomoe (bottom) - three spiral magatama*

100 x 75 cm

price on request

Galerie Mingei

M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

*The magatama is a characteristic ornament of the protohistory of Japan. Its shape evokes a pierced fang, a bear claw, a comma, a 9 or sometimes a fetus. It is usually made of amber, stone, jade or even glass.

The families that used these mon are: Ko, Shioji, Hikobe, Masui, Wakisaka, Oki, Yamakado, Tsuru, Mukozaka, Fushigi etc.

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

s a K i O ri s O d ENas H i

Japan

Meiji period

ca. 1900

66 x 46 cm

price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Galerie Mingei

M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

This garment below is a type of sodenashi (sleeveless) similar to a vest. It was often layered on top of other clothing and worn by peasants when they worked outdoors. The absence of sleeves allowed for greater freedom of movement while keeping warm. This textile is an example of saki-ori (’torn-woven’), a thick textile created by tearing used cloth into strips, which were then woven to form the weft with cotton or hemp threads for the warp.

Ta N za KU W i TH pOE m "fam OU s pL a CE aT THE r i VE r"

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)

Japan

Early Meiji period

1871

Ink and flakes of gold leaf on paper 164 cm (h) x 29 cm (w)

Certified by calligraphy expert Horie Tomohiko (1907-1988) in 1975

Inv. No. #21.007

price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Galerie Kommoss

M: +49 177 6033 201

E: info@galeriekommoss.com

W: www.galeriekommoss.com

Ōtagaki Rengetsu is perhaps the most famous female poet of the 19th century and is also known for her excellent skills in calligraphy and pottery. Rengetsu wrote many tanzaku poems, which were later mounted as hanging scrolls by admirers and collectors. Here is one such poem in Rengetsu’s distinctive handwriting, dated with her age to 1871:

"Famous place by the river"

Here in the shallows Warriors vied to cross Their names carried To fame and oblivion

On the waters of the Uji River.

Speaking of warriors crossing the Uji River, Rengetsu refers to a historically important moment in 1180 known as the “Battle of Uji”. Visiting the famous site (meisho) herself, she recalls the tragic past of the incident with the feelings of a Buddhist nun about the impermanence of life. However, as an imperial loyalist herself, Rengetsu wrote this poem not without a sentiment about the decline of imperial political power at that time.

The “First Battle of Uji” is famous and important for opening the Genpei War, which led to the shift of power from the Taira to the Minamoto clan, but also to the end of the Heian period and the establishment of the Bushi as the new ruling class of the Japanese archipelago. In early 1180, Prince Mochihito, the Minamoto clan’s favored claimant to the imperial throne, was pursued by Taira forces to Mii-dera, a temple outside Kyōto. Unfortunately, the Minamoto army arrived too late to defend the temple, and Minamoto no Yorimasa and

ここをせと きそいわたりし もののふの 名にながれたる うじのかわ水

Prince Mochihito, along with a force of about fifteen hundred men, including the warrior monks of Mii-dera and the Watanabe clan, fled south toward Nara. They crossed the Uji River just outside the Byōdō-in and tore up the planks of the bridge behind them to prevent the Taira from following them. However, the Taira troops, led by Ashikaga Tadatsuna, soon began to ford the river and caught up with the Minamoto, who were all killed in the end.

Just four years later, in what became known as the “Second Battle of Uji”, the situation was reversed, with Minamoto no Yoshinaka attempting to wrest power from his cousins Yoritomo and Yoshitsune and take command of the Minamoto clan. To this end, he burned down Hōjū-ji Palace and kidnapped Emperor Go-Shirakawa. However, his cousins Noriyori and Yoshitsune soon caught up with him and followed him across the waters of the Uji on New Year’s Day 1184, after Yoshinaka had torn down the bridge to impede their crossing. As the Taira had done in the first battle, Minamoto no Yoshitsune led his riders across the river and defeated Yoshinaka.

The scroll is authenticated by Horie Tomohiko (19071988), a renowned calligraphy expert in Japan. Born in Tōkyō in 1907, Horie worked for the Tōkyō National Museum from 1934 to 1969. He then became a professor at Nishogakusha University, where he taught the history and theory of East Asian calligraphy and published many books on the subject, which remain a benchmark today. He certified the scroll inside the wooden storage box in January 1975.

fa N pai NT i N g W i TH

T E ap OT a N d U J i

r i VE r pOE m

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)

Japan

Late Edo period

1860

Ink and light colors on paper

140 cm (h) x 76 cm (w)

Inv. No. #20.002

price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Galerie

Kommoss

M: +49 177 6033 201

E: info@galeriekommoss.com

W: www.galeriekommoss.com

This beautiful fan-shaped painting depicts a sencha teapot of the type Rengetsu usually made herself. The pot is fluidly painted in a few thin lines with a very light, soft pink color and accentuated with two broader, light gray brushstrokes on the shoulder and lid of the pot to give the vessel a more three-dimensional look. On the left side of the painting, Rengetsu added one of her poems, which perfectly accompanies the painted pot:

Scooped up, It is loved by all, The water of the Uji River, Infused with the scent of Mountain roses.

In her poem, Rengetsu plays with several synesthetic impressions. First, she gives the viewer the idea that the tea brewed in the pot is made with water brought from the Uji River in Kyōto, a famous scenic spot also known from the Tale of Genji. She then combines this impression with the scent of mountain roses (Jap. yamabuki), which grow in the mountains near the river and are enjoyed by young and old in the spring, when their blossoms turn nature bright yellow. Finally, she combines the written word with the image by using the first syllable of the poem, "く" (ku), with its wavy form in its pictorial qualities, just like a stream of steam rising from the spout of a teapot, spreading its fragrant scentwhether that of tea or that of blooming mountain roses.

56 - ASIAN ART SOCIETY

The painting was originally painted on a folding fan and later mounted as a hanging scroll by an admiring Japanese collector. The box is inscribed and certified by one of the leading artists of the Meiji period, Mochizuki Gyokusen (1834-1913).

iN dia N CL ay fig U r E s

Bundi

Attributed to Jadunath pal

Krishnanagar, India

19th century

Clay, hair, cloth

11 ¼ in. (28, 6 cm.) high and under price on request

Krishnanagar, a province of Bengal, has a long history of clay modeling which began in the mid-18th century when Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy (r. 1728–1783) established potteries in the region in order to create religious idols (Chose, 44–45). While clay figurines were traditionally limited to figures of deities from the Hindu pantheon, the Maharaja’s introduction of the Hindu practice of Barwari Puja (community worship) created a large and diverse clientele for clay modeling. Clay scenes made for group worship began including figures of human attendants that served the clay gods. These human figures soon became popular on their own, encouraged by the Western demand for realistic representations of the people, plants, and animals of India (Chatterjee, 208).

The practice reached its zenith in the late 19th century, when such figurines were considered national treasures and were often sent to international exhibitions to represent India. In particular, the pal family garnered much renown for their exceptional skill in the craft, the most famous of whom was Jadunath Pal (1821–1920). An article written for the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1888 recounts that:

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The figures made by [the Pal family] have acquired great celebrity, and they have repeatedly gained medals and certificates in most of the International Exhibitions held since 1851. There is considerable delicacy and fineness in their work; the figures are instinct [sic] with life and expression, and their pose and action are excellent. (Mukharji, 59)

The writer continues that Jadunath pal in particular had “no equal in India in this kind of work” (Mukharji, 63).

The present set, representing a variety of Indian castes, is attributed to Jadunath Pal, who often included the contributions of specialist tradesmen in his work–the clothing was made not by modelers, but by actual tailors, and if a figure was accessorized with a basket or a necklace, they often came directly from the professionals themselves, giving the figures an exceptional realism. While many of the figures are missing the implements of their trade that would once have distinguished them from one another, the

delicate positioning of their bodies and their animated appearance nevertheless bring them to life. Not only were these figures once outfitted with real clothing and tools, but also with human hair. While this novel feature is now missing on a majority of the figures, the largest of the group—an elderly man with a wonderfully articulated stomach and a string of beads around his neck—still retains his original patch of hair. See a similar group by Jadunath pal which was exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880 and gifted to the National Gallery of Victoria by the India Commision of the Melbourne International Exhibition (acc. ST 40409-40414).

References:

Chatterjee, S., People of Clay: Portrait Objects in the Peabody Essex Museum, Museum History Journal, 2013.

Chose, B., Traditional Arts and Crafts of West Bengal: a sociological survey, Papyrus, Calcutta, 1981.

Mukharji, T. N., Art Manufactures of India: specially compiled for the Glasgow International Exhibition, Superintendent of Government printing, Calcutta, 1888.

Uma (parVaT i)

Tamil Nadu, South India

Chola period

11th-12th century

Copper Alloy

15 x 8 ½ in. (38,1 x 21,5 cm.)

provenance:

The estate of Kelly Brook, acquired in India in the 1950s.

Galleria Ethnologica, Forli, Italy, 2011.

price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

Uma appears graceful yet powerful upon a tiered lotus throne. A crown surmounts her discreetly smiling face, modeled with wide eyes, a sharp nose and full lips. Her sacred thread or yajnopavita, guides the eye from her neck down her voluptuous torso and soft belly to her lap, where her beautifully detailed skirt covers her legs to her mid-calf, below which multi-banded anklets and beaded ornaments decorate her down to her feet. She sits in lalitasana, the ‘posture of royal ease,’ with one leg retracted and the other hanging relaxedly off of her throne. Most images of parvati in this seated posture belong to a larger group referred to as ‘Somaskanda,’ which describes the divine family constituted by Shiva, parvati and Skanda. The present figure of Parvati, or ‘Uma’ in the native language of Tamil Nadu, was almost certainly part of a larger group of sculptures which served an essential role in a Shaivite temple centuries ago.

“According to Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy, only when he is in the company of his consort Uma does Shiva bestow grace upon an individual soul. A metal image of the god together with Uma and their son Skanda is thus the principal image of such individual grace, and every single temple, wealthy or otherwise possesses a Somaskanda image” (V. Dehejia, The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes of South India, New York, 2002, p.128.). The image is of such great importance that it may be used as a substitute for any godly image needed for Hindu worship. While the present sculpture, like most figures of its size, was commissioned for and essential for temple worship, the group of three portable bronze images were also processional. Such is indicated by the holes fit for poles seen here, which enable worshippers to carry the divine figures into the streets for all to experience darshan—to meet the gaze of the divine.

There are instances in which bronze Somaskanda images were cast as a whole as well as instances in which they have been cast separately, while intended to be experienced together. One instance of a separately-cast Somaskanda group, such as that from which the present originates, can be found at the puran Vitankar Temple in Tirumangalakudi, dated circa-1100 by Dehejia (see ibid, p.128, fig. 1). The present figure of Uma, however, differs

from this one stylistically. The eleventh or twelfth century date for the present figure is supported by the crown style, which follows that of Parvati’s in a well known group depicting the marriage of Shiva and parvati from the Tiruvenkadu temple, circa 1012, now in the Tanjore Art Gallery (see V. Dehejia, Art of the Imperial Cholas, New York, 1990, p. 72, fig. 55). The three tiers of the conical crown and the central ornamented petal, as well as the simple layered necklaces and arm bands framing her buoyant breasts with articulated nipples, however, more closely matches that of a Somaskanda image of parvati at the Shiva Temple in Paundarikapuram attributed to the late twelfth century (see V. dehejia, The Sensous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes of South India, New York, 2002, p. 43, fig. 22). Moreover, the absence of the three distinct lines above Uma’s abdomen (trivali tarangini), a later Chola convention, supports the early dating of this bronze.

m a H a K a L a sH ad BHUJa

Tibet 17th century Bronze with polychrome

6 in. (15 cm)

HAR item no. 35867

provenance:

Toronto collection, acquired from Spink and Sons, c. 1995.

Acquired by the current owner from a public sale, Toronto, 10 June 2013. Christie’s, New York, 14 March 2017, Lot 209.

price on request

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

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Mahakala is the primary Buddhist Dharmapala and is respected in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In Sanskrit, Maha translates to “great” and Kala to “time/death.” All names and colors are said to melt into Mahakala, symbolizing his all-encompassing nature and lustrous black skin. He is seen as the absolute reality. Shadbhuja, the six-armed Mahakala, is a favorite amongst the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Shadbhuja is recognized as the fierce, powerful, and wrathful embodiment of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokitesvara. In this elegantly cast piece, attention to fine detail is evident throughout the six-armed form. In the primary left hand is a skull cap (kapala) filled with minced remains of enemies to dharma. In the primary right hand is a crescent shaped chopper (katrika) or curved knife, which fits to the shape of the skull cap so it can be utilized for making the “mincemeat.” The chopper is a representation of detachment from samsaric existence. Within the secondary right hand lies a damaru, an hourglass-shaped drum which arouses the mentally-clouded from their ignorant state, putting them back onto the path of dharma. The sound which emanates from the damaru is supposed to be the same as that which manifested all of existence. A rosary of dried skulls adorns the uppermost right hand; this symbolizes the perpetual activity of Mahakala on a cosmic scale, as rings are inherently continuous.The secondary left hand holds a noose, whose function is to lasso those straying from the divine path of dharma. The skin of an elephant is held taut across the back of Mahakala in his upper left hand, symbolizing the ability to overcome delusion.

H E ad O f a B O dd H isaTTVa

Eastern India

Gupta period

5th – 6th century

Terracotta

Height: 17 cm

provenance:

private collection, Hong Kong (since 1990)

TL test Oxford ref. N116c12 dated 2016 price on request

A terracotta head of a Bodhisattva modelled with bow-shaped mouth and a full sensuous lower lip beneath an aquiline nose, arched eyebrows in relief and open almond eyes. His hair is arranged in prominent cascading curls. The front of the head is adorned with a small seated Buddha figure.

The facial features are still in an unusually good and original condition, the open mouth with visible teeth is a prominent asset.

The arrival of the Gupta sovereigns to power around the 4th century, along with an expansion of political control in the north and central regions of India, mark the apogee of Indian classicism. Gupta sculptors perfectly blended the reality of the flesh with the essence of the divine in their representations of their gods, influencing all of Hindu and Buddhist Asia.

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By:

Farah Massart

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a B U ff s a N ds TONE

TO rs O O f Vis HNU

Central India

12th century Sandstone

40 x 26 x 12 in. (102 cm x 66 cm x 30,5 cm ) provenance

R.W. Leybourne Callaghan, alias Callaghan of India, Managing director of Roche India and Honorary Consul for Ireland in Bombay, acquired in the late 1960s price on request

This stele torso figure of Vishnu is adorning a Kirit Mukut (Crown) . The upper left arm with the Chakra (discus) and the upper right arm with a foliate gada (mace) is reminiscent of the four-armed iconography of Vishnu. The iconographic attributes of discus and mace resonate to the role of Vishnu being the preserver of cosmic order in Hindu mythology; thus complementing the role of Brahma being the creator (responsible for the creation of the universe) and Shiva the destroyer (the reason for evolution).

Three deities at the top are flanked by the apsara (celestial beings) at both ends. The open-work in the center with the foliate patterns bedecks the nimbus of the deity. It is said that Vishnu descended on earth in the form of ten avatars (incarnations) to restore cosmic order. Four of these avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu can be seen on either side of the stele figure. It is suggestive that the sculpture would have once consisted of other avatars (incarnations) depicted on the two sides similarly. The subject matter of the given piece is very similar to one of the steles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York which is attributed to punjab in Northern India.

O B j EC t Pr ESEN t ED By: Kapoor Galleries

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iLLU s T raT i ON TO THE ‘Larg E’ gULE rBas OHL i B H agaVaTa

pU ra Na:

s aTad H a NVa, aK rU ra, a N d KraTVarma i N d is CU ssi ON

Attributed to the first generation after Nainsukh and Manaku

Guler-Basohli, India

Circa 1760–1765

Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper

Image: 10 ¾ x 15 in. (27,4 x 38 cm.)

Folio: 11 ¾ x 16 ⅛ in. (29,7 x 40,8 cm.) price on request

The present illustration comes from the tenth book of the Bhagavata purana which describes episodes from the life of Krishna. This episode recounts the story of the Syamantaka, a precious gem which was presented to Satrajit by the sun god Surya and accounted for the god’s dazzling appearance. Krishna becomes embroiled in the gem’s repeated theft and recovery after being wrongfully accused of stealing it by Satrajit. When Krishna recovers the jewel and returns it to Satrajit to clear his name, Satrajit has a change of heart and offers Krishna both the Syamantaka jewel and his beautiful daughter, Satyabhama, who was considered a jewel among women. While Krishna refuses the gift of the jewel, he accepts Satyabhama as his new wife, angering Akrura and Kratvarma who had sought Satyabhama’s hand for their own. Akrura and Kratvarma appear here trying to convince Satadhanva to kill Satrajit for his indiscretion and steal the gem for himself. The three men appear framed in a large double-paned window. The bearded Satadhanva, on the left, listens to the mustachioed Akrura and Kratvarma on the right as they plot to steal the precious gem. All three wear jamas with bold patterns that complement the gold geometric motif of the terrace walls outside. This image utilizes the unusually large format in a striking way, filling it with prominent yet simplified architectural elements rather than breaking up the space with small details—an example of how the younger generation of Seu family artists were able to throw off the constraints of the traditional miniaturist.

The present painting comes from a series referred to by Archer as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana of 1760–1765. In her discussion of four paintings from the same set in the Chester Beatty Library, Linda York Leach explains:

The series, by a number of dif erent hands, is one of the richest sources of information about the specific ways in which Pahari miniaturists gradually relaxed their styles of drawing and developed a cleaner, more open and more naturalistic idiom.

(L.Y. Leach, p.1048)

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By:

B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note that the series is often ascribed to Manaku’s son, Fattu, who lived for a time with his uncle Nainsukh, and thus incorporated the styles of both masters into his own work (Goswamy, p. 689). Compare to a folio from the same series at the philadelphia Museum of Art depicting Uddhava visiting Vrindavan at Krishna’s Bidding

78 - ASIAN ART SOCIETY

(acc. 1996-120-2). The Philadelphia folio exhibits a similar format, with Uddhava and Vrindavan framed within a red, double-paned window, and surrounded by stark architectural forms. See also a folio from the ‘Large’ GulerBasohli Bhagavata purana depicting the return of the Syamantaka, published by Archer in Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, 1973, Basohli, 22(xii).

References:

Goswamy (ed.)., et al., Masters of Indian Painting, New delhi, 2011.

L.Y. Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, Vol.II, 1995.

Comp:

https://www.philamuseum.org/collection/object/90036