A monumental buff sandstone head of a Devi North India, 9th-10th century | 印度北部 九至十世紀 砂岩雕提毗首

Collection of Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard, acquired mid-1970s.

Christie’s New York, 14th September 2010, lot 161.

 __________________________________________________________________________

Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard珍藏，得自七十年代中期

紐約佳士得，2010年9月14日，編號161

The finely carved head originally belonged to monumental sculpture, and is detailed with rounded face, downcast eyes in a compassionate gaze, full and sensuous lips, and an elaborate coiffure of curls and ribbons with two human skulls at either side. Skulls in matted hair is a characteristic of Shiva but the benign aspect, lack of a third eye on the forehead, elegant locks and a more feminine countenance might suggest that the head depicts the goddess Devi. Devi is often portrayed as a beautiful woman representing the great mother goddess, with wrathful attributes and weapons of battle indicating her role as destroyer, most popularly as Durga slaughtering the buffalo demon Mahisha.

 __________________________________________________________________________

本品雕工上乘，造像編制碩大、潤頰垂目、唇瓣飽滿，眼神慈悲，頭髮捲曲，兩旁各一骷髏。纏結頭髮及骷髏通常乃濕婆造型特徵，然而本像前額無第三目，髮鬢秀麗，面容帶女性特徵，故此或為提毗。提毗常見於母神造型，形像秀麗，帶忿怒相，手持武器，顯示其殲滅者身份，通常見於難近母擊敗牛魔摩西娑蘇羅造型。