STÈLE DE FIGURE DEBOUT TENANT UN ARC ET DES FLÈCHES EN GRÈS ROUGE

Inde centrale, Madhya Pradesh, Style Khajuraho, XIe siècle

Footnotes

The figure stands in a gentle triple-bend pose (tribhanga), holding arrows in his right hand and a bow tucked under his left arm, the hand resting gracefully on his thigh. He wears elaborate jewellery, including a tall headdress, large circular earrings, and a tasselled belt. A leafy motif appears at his feet. A third eye is engraved on his forehead above arched brows. His stance suggests that he once stood on a door jamb or other architectural element, serving as a guardian figure.

On the door jambs of Hindu temples in northern and central India, such figures were placed to purify and protect those entering the sanctum. Guardians associated with Shiva are often shown with his ascetic hairstyle and third eye of wisdom. Here, the figure has two arms and holds a bow and arrows, attributes linked to Shiva as Tripurantaka, the cosmic archer who destroys the three cities of the demons. For an earlier example of Shaiva guardian mimicking Shiva as Bhairava see Desai and Mason (eds.), Gods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple Sculptures from North India A.D. 700–1200, pp. 238-239, fig. 59.

The fine carving of the face, ornaments, and the graceful rhythm of the body are characteristic of eleventh-century sculpture from Madhya Pradesh. The work shows great technical skill, balancing meditative calm with alert strength, reflecting Shiva's dual roles as ascetic and protector. The headdress and jewellery are like those on sculptures from the temples at Khajuraho and other central Indian sites. Compare, for instance, an 11th-century sandstone figure of Lakshmi-Narayana in the National Museum, New Delhi (acc. no. 82.225), published ibid., pp. 183–185, fig. 26.

Provenance
Christie's, London, 19 June 1973, lot 77 (recorded in a 1985 insurance document).
Private Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above;
Thence by descent.

印度中部 中央邦 克久拉霍風格 十一世紀 紅砂岩弓箭手碑

來源
佳士得，倫敦，1973年6月19日，拍品77（記錄於1985年保險文件）
比利時私人收藏，購於上者
後由家族傳承