Indian Uttar Pradesh Red Sandstone Torso

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Early Fall Variety | Ancient & Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Oct 17, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-10-17 10:00:00 2019-10-17 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Early Fall Variety | Ancient & Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/early-fall-variety-ancient-ethnographic-4538
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• Lot Description
  **Originally Listed At $600**
  
  Central Asia, India, Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Kushan to early Gupta, ca. 2nd to 5th century CE. A beautifully carved red sandstone torso from a relief of a figure wearing a long, flaring coat, a style sometimes known as a "Kushan coat", richly decorated and carved with exquisite detail including an outward fold at the edges, revealing a different texture on the interior, as if the coat is lined with another type of fabric. A glimpse of a tunic and leggings underneath the coat, lined vertically, is visible between the two edges of the coat. A thick necklace is around the neck, and one arm is raised to hold a large vessel at waist height, supported by a carved hand underneath it. The vessel is decorated with a relief motif of leaves around its broad shoulder. Emerging from its wide mouth is a floral arrangement. This figure may be Emperor Kanishka (ca. 127 to 150 CE). Size: 5.35" W x 11.25" H (13.6 cm x 28.6 cm); 12.95" H (32.9 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Art of this style flourished in Mathura, which was a place of trade and pilgrimage during this time period. Mottled red sandstone, quarried in nearby Sikri, was carved in the city and exported widely. Mathura artwork is contemporary with that of Gandhara, with each region demonstrating a markedly different artistic interpretation of Buddhist imagery. While Gandhara was inspired by Greco-Roman influence, Mathura drew upon earlier yaksa, or nature deity, figures. Beyond Buddhist and Hindu figures, artisans in Mathura also produced high relief carvings of Kushan and Gupta rulers, often to decorate public gateways, pillars, and walls. The figures always face forward, dressed in traditional clothing like this one here.
  
  See a similar red sandstone torso of Kanishka at the Mathura Museum: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/0100_0199/kanishka/kanishka.html
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Joe Gerena Fine Art, New York, USA 1995
  
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  #141892

  Condition

  Piece is a fragment as shown, with the head lost and the legs lost at the knee. Arms also have some losses. Nice preservation of details, especially of the clothing.
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