A bronze figure of Indra, Nepal, 14th century

Collection of Gerd Wolfgang Essen (1930-2007), acquired in 1977, and thence by descent.

Indra is a prominent deity derived from the Vedas, known as the king of the gods, of heavens, rain, thunderstorms, and war. He is often depicted riding on a white elephant called Airavata and wielding a thunderbolt known as Vajra. Indra plays a significant role in Hindu mythology, where he is portrayed as a powerful god who governs the weather and the celestial realms.

Indra's festival, known as Indra Jatra, is a traditional festival celebrated in Nepal, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. The festival usually takes place in late August or early September and lasts for eight days. During Indra Jatra, a large wooden pole known as 'Yosin' or 'Linga' is erected in Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The pole symbolizes Lord Indra's flag and is believed to be a means of inviting Indra, the god of rain, to the Kathmandu Valley to ensure good harvests. The festival also features various masked dances, including the famous Lakhe dance performed by masked dancers representing deities, demons, and animals.

In accordance with the unique artistic style that evolved in the Kathmandu Valley, this depiction of Indra shows him extending his arms away from his body. He wears a rounded crown which is particular to the deity and readily distinguishes him from other Hindu deities when depicted in other postures (such as that of 'royal ease', which is far more ubiquitous). His jewelry includes diamond-shaped earrings, pearl necklaces, simple bracelets, armlets, and a girdle. An image of Indra like this is exhibited annually during the Indra festival inside the medieval royal palace of Hanuman-dhoka in Kathmandu.

According to a popular story among the Newar community, this distinctive artistic feature of Indra is linked to his attempt to steal flowers from the coral tree (known as parijat in Sanskrit and Newari) that blooms in the valley but not in heaven. These flowers were essential for a ritual puja performed annually by women in heaven, including Indra's mother. At his mother's request, Indra descended to the valley in disguise to acquire the flowers. Unaware of his divine nature, the valley inhabitants caught Indra in the act of stealing and surrounded him, binding his hands and feet with ropes, as was the custom for thieves. Indra was only released after his mother promised to provide the valley with the rain needed for their harvest to ripen.

The Newar people have a rich tradition of storytelling, and their chronicles are filled with such tales about their deities and festivals. These stories often involve the disguise of divinities visiting the Kathmandu Valley, their capture by humans, and their release after promising to fulfill the valley's desires. These stories also help the Newar priests incorporate Hindu and Buddhist deities into their pantheon. The iconography of Indra, with his stretched hands, actually originated from a cross-like structure worshipped by Newars during harvest time, either as a deity or a deceased ancestor (see G. Vajracharya, Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 2016, p. 156 for two images of this iconography in-situ).

During the Indrajatra festivals, many places in the valley, especially in remote Newar villages, erect cross-like structures made of straw or wood (such as that in ibid, fig. 40), with a repoussé head of Indra placed on top, indicating that the cross-like structure was considered to represent Indra. 

This small figure, however, may have been made for an individual. An even smaller, votive-sized image of far lesser quality dated to 1840 in the David Nalin collection demonstrates this likelihood (see ibid, cat. no. 50).

The Essen Collection, assembled by the German theological scholar Gerd-Wolfgang Essen (1930-2007), was acquired for the Museum der Kulturen in Basel in 1998 by the philanthropist Catherine Oeri. It comprised 750 Tibetan works of art including 200 thangkas and an extensive collection of ritual utensils, masks, musical instruments, books and temple furniture and textiles.

Gerd-Wolfgang Essen retained a small number of pieces to enjoy at home, some of which are being offered by his descendants in this auction, including this exquisite bronze figure of Indra, one of his earliest acquisitions. He particularly treasured the Indra as the iconography reminded him of the Christian cross.