NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY

The sun god Surya, stands on a lotus on a base below beaded garlands and gandharvas, both hands holding fully bloomed lotuses, wearing a dhoti, and adorned with a tall, narrow crown. Flanked by Rajni and Nisprabha, celestial figures and protectors, all of the surrounding figures are mounted on Aruna’s seven-horsed chariot beside Surya. A similar example can be found in the Seattle Art Museum (acc. no. 45.59), illustrated by P. Pal in The Arts of Nepal: Part 1, Leiden, 1974, pl. 255.
The American violinist Louis Kaufman was one of the most influential classical musicians of the twentieth century. Together with his wife Annette, also an accomplished musician, the Kaufmans donated much of their large art collection to the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. and other cultural institutions.