A Mainamati copper alloy altar of Mohini. Northeastern India/Bengal (Bangladesh). Pala period, 9th/10th century - image-1

Lot 547 Dα

A Mainamati copper alloy altar of Mohini. Northeastern India/Bengal (Bangladesh). Pala period, 9th/10th century

Auction 1080 - overview Cologne
09.12.2016, 11:00 - Asian Art - Indian Bronzes from the Günter Heil Collection / Japanese Art
Estimate: 4.000 € - 6.000 €
Result: 5.208 € (incl. premium)
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A Mainamati copper alloy altar of Mohini. Northeastern India/Bengal (Bangladesh). Pala period, 9th/10th century

A Mainamati copper alloy altar of Mohini, the only female avatar of Vishnu, standing in samapada in front of a torana, the hands holding chakra, bhumi, shankha and gada, at the base a lion (simha), the halo behind the head surmounted by a vase. Inscription at the front of the base. Northeastern India/Bengal (Bangladesh). Pala period, 9th/10th century.
Height 12.8 cm

The hoards of metal cast images from the area of Mainamati usually represent Vishnu. Compare a stylistically very similar bronze of a Vishnu in the Art Institute of Chicago (acc. no. 1985.1109) (http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/category/104?page=6) and a Vishnu with consorts from Kumarpur, Rajshahi (height 26 cm) (http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sculpture).
This rare motif is the only known representation of Mohini in bronze.

Provenance

Collection Günter Heil (1938-2014), Berlin