작품 상세

A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF KRISHNA, PHNOM DA STYLE, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD, 6TH CENTURY Powerfully modeled standing in slight tribhanga, wearing a short dhoti finely carved with fanning pleats and tied along the back of the waist with a short fish-tail. His face with almond-shaped eyes, neatly incised pupils, elegant brows and nose, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated pierced earlobes, the hair arranged in coiled locks falling elegantly down his back. The surface of the sandstone with a smooth, ancient polish overall, showing distinct signs of weathering and worship. Provenance: A private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired in the 1980s. The private collection of a gentleman in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, acquired from the above in 1990. Timeline Auctions, February 2020, lot 324. The private collection of Norbert Bück and Béatrice Bück-Hennebelle, Mersch, Luxembourg, acquired from the above. Norbert Bück was the co-founder of Galerie Ganesha, which he operated until his death. His widow Béatrice Bück-Hennebelle has been active in the trade for over 40 years. The gallery offered a wide range of antiques and works of art, with a special focus on Asian art, as well as appraisal and restoration services. A copy of the invoice from Timeline Auctions, addressed to Norbert Bück, dated February 2020, and stating a purchase price for the present lot of GBP 37,500 or approx. EUR 59,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, nicks, scratches, losses, minor old repairs. Weight: 80.3 kg Dimensions: Height 135 cm (incl. stand), 103 cm (excl. stand) Phnom Da is a historic site about three kilometers southeast from Angkor Borei. Together, they formed the capital of the Funan Empire in the 6th century. The site holds the oldest surviving temples, Khmer and Sanskrit inscriptions, as well as what are possibly the earliest stone statues in the region, dated to the 6th century and assumed to have originated during the reign of King Rudravarman (r. 514-539). These sculptures appear to predate the stone temples in Angkor Borei; the oldest standing Khmer stone temple (late 6th century) may have been preceded by wooden Hindu temples. Literature comparison: Compare two closely related sandstone figures of Rama and Balarama, 180 cm and 186 cm high, from the Phnom Da sanctuary in Takéo province and now in the collection of the NMC, inventory numbers Ka.1638 and Ka.1640, both exhibited by the Cleveland Museum of Art, in Revealing Krishna, 2021-2022. Compare a closely related sandstone figure of Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan, 203 cm high, dated 6th century, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1973.106.