INDIA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

This sculpture from Himachal Pradesh from the tenth and eleventh centuries is stylistically comparable to that of Kashmir, unsurprising given the proximity of the two regions: the hill-town of Chamba, where many of the most important bronze figures originate, is less than two hundred miles from the Vale of Kashmir. Some stylistic and iconographical characteristics, however, do differentiate between the two regions. The conjoined aureole of Himachal Pradesh bronzes, for instance, is usually flat and unadorned, in contrast to those of Kashmir, which are often incised with flames. The streamers or ribbons that extend from either side of the torso are also commonly found in Himachal bronzes, and less so in those of Kashmir. Iconographically, bronzes of Himachal Pradesh depict Ganesha seated on the backs of two lions, rather than a rat, which is his more commonly represented vahana, or vehicle. This iconographic choice seems to be limited to Himachal Pradesh and is not generally found in other Indian sculpture.

Compare the present sculpture's lion-mount and aureole with an example from a private collection, illustrated by U. von Schroeder in Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 151, no. 27B, as well as its crown and overall modeling with two additional examples illustrated by M. Postel, et al., Antiquities of Himachal, Bombay, 1985, p. 102, figs. 122 and 124.

Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24477.