A black stone relief of Hanuman

NEPAL, CIRCA 14TH CENTURY

Details

A black stone relief of Hanuman
Nepal, circa 14th century
The fierce deity striding in alidhasana over two crawling figures on a lotus base, clad in battle armor and holding various weapons and ritual implements in his ten hands, with the face of a lion, monkey, boar, and horned eagle surmounted by a horse's head, the stele with a flaming aureole and a prong beneath, the surface with traces of red pigment
6½ in. (16.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Private Collection, Thailand, 1990s
Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 2007

Lot Essay

This figure appears to be a Tantric Hanuman of the Vaishnava tradition. The lion and boar represent two avatars of Vishnu (Narasimha and Varaha, respectively), Garuda is Vishnu's mount, the rabbit relates to the moon, and the monkey Hanuman is the friend and attendant of Rama, another avatar of Vishnu. This identification is supported by the object, a diminutive mountain, that Hanuman holds in his upper left hand and with which he is closely identified in the Ramayana. In order to save Ram's brother, Hanuman transported the Himalayan mountain Dronagiri with its healing herbs in its entirety to the island of Lanka, thus earning Rama's unconditional friendship.

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