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Lot Essay
This rare surviving sculpture from the pre-Pala period is distinguished by a powerful economy of form, exemplified here by the compact, robust figures of Shiva and Uma emerging from the ovoid blackstone stele. Seated in intimate embrace, their hands resting upon one another’s chests, the divine couple conveys remarkable tenderness within an otherwise hieratic composition. Between them, Shiva’s trident rises prominently, providing a strong vertical counterpoint.
The sculpture displays characteristics associated with northeastern Indian carving of the seventh century: minimal drapery and ornament, a simple halo and restrained lotus treatment. The distinctive arrangement of the hair also recalls contemporary sculptural traditions of Kashmir. Comparable squat proportions and carved floral medallions appear on early images of Shiva and Parvati and Vishnu preserved in the Huntington photographic archives, see a standing Shiva and Parvati no. 6362 and Vishnu, no. 5228. Also see Huntington, The Pala-Sena Schools of Sculpture, Leiden, 1984, pls. 8, 15 for a late sixth or seventh century black stone sculpture of Shakyamuni Buddha’s First Sermon from Telhara in Patna district, Bihar,
Below, the rocky pedestal is articulated as angular geometric blocks, evocative of the couple’s Himalayan abode at Mount Kailash. The solemnity of the central figures is enlivened by the diminutive Ganesha and Karttikeya, accompanied by Shiva and Uma’s respective vehicles, Nandi and the lion, while a small donor kneels beside Shiva’s thigh.
Pre-Pala sculpture remains exceptionally rare, particularly on the international market. Among the few early works to have appeared at auction is a standing Buddha dated to the seventh century, sold at Christie’s, New York, 21 March 2007, lot 245. For later developments of the sculptural tradition, compare an example dated to the ninth/tenth century, sold at Christie’s, New York, 23 March 2022, lot 456, as well as a related sculpture from Uttar Pradesh of the ninth/tenth century, sold at Christie’s, 31 March 2005, lot 61. The present stele is therefore particularly significant for its early date, standing at the threshold of the Pala period and preserving the robust simplicity, compact proportions and inventive iconography characteristic of this formative moment in northeastern Indian sculpture.
The sculpture displays characteristics associated with northeastern Indian carving of the seventh century: minimal drapery and ornament, a simple halo and restrained lotus treatment. The distinctive arrangement of the hair also recalls contemporary sculptural traditions of Kashmir. Comparable squat proportions and carved floral medallions appear on early images of Shiva and Parvati and Vishnu preserved in the Huntington photographic archives, see a standing Shiva and Parvati no. 6362 and Vishnu, no. 5228. Also see Huntington, The Pala-Sena Schools of Sculpture, Leiden, 1984, pls. 8, 15 for a late sixth or seventh century black stone sculpture of Shakyamuni Buddha’s First Sermon from Telhara in Patna district, Bihar,
Below, the rocky pedestal is articulated as angular geometric blocks, evocative of the couple’s Himalayan abode at Mount Kailash. The solemnity of the central figures is enlivened by the diminutive Ganesha and Karttikeya, accompanied by Shiva and Uma’s respective vehicles, Nandi and the lion, while a small donor kneels beside Shiva’s thigh.
Pre-Pala sculpture remains exceptionally rare, particularly on the international market. Among the few early works to have appeared at auction is a standing Buddha dated to the seventh century, sold at Christie’s, New York, 21 March 2007, lot 245. For later developments of the sculptural tradition, compare an example dated to the ninth/tenth century, sold at Christie’s, New York, 23 March 2022, lot 456, as well as a related sculpture from Uttar Pradesh of the ninth/tenth century, sold at Christie’s, 31 March 2005, lot 61. The present stele is therefore particularly significant for its early date, standing at the threshold of the Pala period and preserving the robust simplicity, compact proportions and inventive iconography characteristic of this formative moment in northeastern Indian sculpture.