Beschreibung:

Northeastern India, Bihar or Bengali, 11th-12th century. Standing in samapada below an incised garland and gandharvas, both hands holding lotus stems coming to full bloom above his shoulders. Wearing a diaphanous pleated dhoti, beaded upavita, foliate collar, circular ear ornaments, and a tall faceted crown. Provenance: From an old Swedish private estate. Condition: Good condition, overall commensurate with age and as expected with extensive wear, losses, structural cracks, erosion, weathering, minor old fills and repairs. Weight: 92 kg Dimensions: Height 98 cm Expert’s note: Numerous examples closely related to the present lot have appeared on the auction market, however a stele of this large size is extremely rare. The sun god is represented in his characteristic frontal posture, the deity dominating the composition, surrounded by his many attendants. Surya is displayed with the characteristic richness and detailed elaboration of the style as seen in later Pala stone sculptures. The pedestal finely carved with a frieze depicting the seven horses drawing his celestial chariot. Literature comparison: A closely related stele is in the collection of the Seattle Art Museum, object number 45.59, illustrated by P. Pal in The Arts of Nepal: Part 1, Leiden, 1974, pl. 255. For an example showing Surya with ornate detailing, see S.L. and J.C. Huntington, Leaves from a Bodhi Tree: The Art of Pala India (8th-12th centuries) and Its International Legacy, Seattle, 1990, cat. 40. For further comparable examples, see exhibition catalog, Collections des musées du Bangladesh, Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, Paris, 24 October 2007 – 3 March 2008, cat. nos. 89-92, pp. 238-244. Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but slightly smaller (84 cm high) stele at Sotheby’s New York in Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 22 September 2020, lot 350, sold for USD 126,000.