A Black Stone Stele of Bhairava, India, Pala Period, 11th/12th Century

Auction Closed

September 20, 05:33 PM GMT

Estimate

7,000 - 9,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Property From a Private Japanese Collector

A Black Stone Stele Depicting Bhairava

India, Pala Period, 11th/12th Century

Height 13½ in. (34.3 cm)

the fierce form of Shiva, with flaming hair and snake ornaments framing his face, holding a sword in his secondary right arm hand and a khatvanga in his left, his pot-bellied waist carrying a garland of severed heads, flanked by two dancing women, the bottom register with a kneeling devotee and bowl of offerings, the upper register showing the accompaniment of two flying apasaras

Collection of a Japanese Diplomat, acquired in Bangladesh, circa 1970.

For other examples showing the same format and iconography, see Susan L. and John C. Huntington, Leaves from the Bodhi Tree: The Art of Pala India (8th-12th centuries) and Its International Legacy, 1990, cat.no. 28.