A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PARVATI SOUTHERN INDIA, VIJAYANAGAR PERIOD, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY |

the devi standing in tribhanga on an inverted lotus base, her pendent left hand in lola mudra, the right hand raised in katakahastamudra and holding the stem of an budded lotus flower, the rounded face with full lips, Grecian nose and almond-shaped eyes underscored by arched eyebrows, wearing a decorative band around the forehead and crown around her mounted conical shaped hair, adorned with armbands, bracelets and a broad beaded necklace and a meditation strand falling between her ample breasts, wearing a dhoti patterned with rosettes and secured with a beaded belt and decorated with a flourishing sash fastened in a loop to the left hip

Acquired 1975. 

Very good overall condition for an item of this type and age. With heavy accretion to the surface particularly in areas of recessions. Wear due to ritual use and handling. Left corner of the backside of the base now missing.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Parvati, or Uma as she is referred to in southern India, is considered to be the courier of Shiva's power. The Great Goddess is portrayed as the epitome of idealized beauty- slender, voluptuous, seductive and beautiful. She represents the archetypal image of the female, embodying the fullness of feminity which includes both sacredness and sensuality. The style of this bronze, coming directly out of the Chola dynasty bronzes, culminates into a standarized form. As it develops within the Chola dynasty and into the Vijayanagar period, Pal states in the The Sensuous Immortals that the naturalism of the early style "has given way to a more mannered elegance." (p 113, cat 66.) During this transition, gestures become more exaggerated, modeled and stylized. Here, the breasts are overly rounded, the protruding hip accentuated and the facial features, particularly the nose, prominent.

Compare the rosette patterns of the dhoti to an earlier bronze Parvati, see Alphen, J; Cast for Eternity, p. 52. fig. 5.