1 More

Situated between India to the south and Tibet and China just beyond the Himalayan range to the north, the Kathmandu Valley holds a unique geographic position. Influenced by these neighboring cultures, the Newaris, the indigenous artisans of Nepal, developed a rich local style, particularly with regards to metalwork. Renowned for their masterful lost wax casting technique, Newari sculptors were some of the most sought after artists in the Himalayan regions and China.Indra, the Lord of the Gods, plays a central role in the legends, life and art of Nepal. He is generally identified by three iconographic features: a tall cylindrical crown, a horizontal eye on the forehead and a vajra typically resting on a lotus blossom next to his left shoulder. He is generally shown seated in rajalilasana, the pose of “Royal Ease." This relaxed posture, with one arm draped gracefully over a raised knee denoting pleasure or indulgence, is similarly reflected in Chinese Song sculptures of Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara). Developed locally, depictions of Indra in rajalilasana have become one of the most recognizable images in Nepalese art history.

A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF INDRA

NEPAL, 15TH CENTURY

Details

A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF INDRA
NEPAL, 15TH CENTURY
Finely cast seated in rajalilasana with his right arm resting on his knee in a relaxed pose, with two lotuses rising over his shoulders, the left blossom supporting his vajra, wearing a short diaphanous patterned dhoti, beaded jewelry inlaid with hardstones and a tiara with incised scrollwork, his face gently modeled in a serene expression with a delicately incised third eye, downcast eyes and mouth set in a slight smile
6 ¾ in. (17 cm.) high

Provenance

Private collection, United Kingdom, acquired by1968

Literature

Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24004

Brought to you by

Sandhya Jain-Patel

sjain-patel@christies.com +1 212 636 2162

Lot Essay

The present work is closely related to a 15th century bronze figure of Indra in the Victoria and Albert Museum (U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp.362-363, fig.97B). Both bronzes depict the seated god with an attenuated waist emphasized by a jeweled belt which sits in a V-shape across the hips, in contrast to earlier versions where the belt rests straight across the belly (see: P. Pal, Nepal: Where the Gods are Young, 1975, pg.116, cat no.87). The present work and the Victoria and Albert Indra also share a unique modeling of the lotuses whose pointed petals are individually articulated. The beaded jewelry and tall cylindrical crown over a slightly tilted head further link these two masterful works, placing them solidly in the 15th century among the finest Newari sculpture.

More from Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art

View All