Beschreibung:

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE CHAMPA SANDSTONE STELE WITH GODDESS Katalognummer: AK0518-179 Sandstone Champa 10th century A goddess in long clothes, wearing a belt and fishtail pleat known especially from the old sculptural art of Kamboja, standing barefoot on a pedestal in front of a nimbus. She is holding a lotus blossom in her hands. Her posture symbolizes the womb, while the lotus is a symbol of luck. The goddess has an introverted expression and is wearing a crown on her head, heavy jewelry on her ears, jewels around her neck and decorative rings on her upper lower arms. Possibly this piece depicts the goddess of beauty and luck, Lakshmi. From a marine exploration find. Dimensions: HEIGHT 68 CM Condition: Distinct signs of age; in complete condition, the entire backside, as well as some of the front, is covered with marine concretions Provenance: From an American private collection Literature comparison: For a comparison of marine patina, see The Art of Champa by Jean-Francois Hubert, no. 131. A similar Champa sandstone stele with the same marine concretions, with a depiction of Brahmani, was sold at Sotheby’s March 23rd 2007, lot 41. Note: The old kingdom of the Cham people in central Vietnam bordered on the Khmer empire, fostering both exchange and competition. There were both Hindu and Buddhist shrines. The kingdom’s golden age was during the 9th and 10th century. Startpreis 起始價: € 2.500 Schätzpreis 估計/估算: € 5.000