A Seated Holy Man Eastern Java, Majapahit,13th 14th century
5377
A seated holy man
Eastern Java, Majapahit, 13th- 14th century
Seated in meditation with his hands folded wearing a skirt cinched at the waist by an elaborate, flowing knot and a sash is draped from shoulder to waist terminating in a pleated swag at the shoulder, his hair is arranged in an elegant coiffure with an ornamental wave-like pattern above his forehead.
7 1/2in (19cm) high
Estimate:
US$ 4,000 - 5,000
£2,600 - 3,300
€3,100 - 3,900

Footnotes

  • From the late 13th to the early 15th century the Kingdom of Majapahit flourished as a major maritime power in East Java. The Kingdom of Majapahit's most renowned artistic achievement is its figurative sculpture carved from tuff stone and terra cotta. Modest in scale, the sculpture is composed of four groups: deities related to Buddhist and Hindu pantheons, figures of various persons belonging to different social classes, animal figurines, and fragments from reliefs of ruined temples.

    Characteristic of this sculpture is a highly sensitive, portrait-like sensibility described best by Jean Boisselier, Majapahit, Beurdeley & cie, Paris, France, 1989-1990, page 11:

    "Admittedly, we are not talking here of portraits in the current sense, but the sculpture of Majapahit would appear, if not to search for the physical likeness, to be inclined to express a far more subtle spiritual reality. These works are thus steeped in a quite unexpected gentleness and tenderness which, without making any concession to realism, bring the deified monarchs and the gods astonishingly close to us."

    Provenance:
    Doris Wiener Gallery 1990s

Lot heading

Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art

Property from Various Owners

Category: Asian Art

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Contacts

Angela Lee Bonhams
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Auction Administration - Asian Art