A SCHIST STELE DEPICTING ARDHANARISHVARA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY Nepal. The composite deity wearing fine robes and scarves, beaded jewelry, and a foliate crown. The right half representing Shiva with mustache and holding the mala and trident, the left half representing Parvati with breast and holding a sutra and lotus blossom. The serene face with almond-shaped eyes and smiling lips, the hair pulled up into a high chignon, backed by a mandorla and surrounded by various deities including Ganesha, Brahma, and Skanda, all below two apsaras.

Provenance: From an old private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired ca. 40 years ago and thence by descent in the same family.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks, scratches, encrustations. Remnants of ancient pigment.

Weight: 6.6 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 37 cm (excl. stand) and 40.8 cm (incl. stand)

Ardhanarishvara (‘the half-female Lord’) is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down the middle. The right half is usually the male Shiva, illustrating his traditional attributes. Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God, and vice versa. The union of these principles is exalted as the root and womb of all creation.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related stele depicting Lakshminarayana, a composite deity representing Vishnu and Lakshmi, 37.3 cm high, dated 17^th century, at Bonhams New York in Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art on 17 September 2014, lot 3, sold for USD 11,875. Compare a related stele depicting Durga, 29 cm high, dated 17^th century, at Christie’s Paris in Art d’Asie on 12 June 2019, lot 231, sold for EUR 8,125.

十六至十七世紀片岩石碑
尼泊爾。複合神身穿精美的長袍，佩戴瓔珞，頭戴葉冠。 右半部代表留著小鬍子的濕婆，手持瑪拉和三叉戟，左半部代表長著乳房的帕爾瓦蒂，手持佛經和蓮花。面容安詳，髮髻盤成高髻，後背有光背，上有兩位飛天神女，周圍環繞著伽內甚、梵天等諸神。

來源：英國倫敦私人舊收藏，購於約四十年前，保存在同一家族至今。
品相：狀況極好，與年齡相稱。大面積磨損、缺損、風化和侵蝕的跡象、刻痕、劃痕、結殼及顏料殘餘。

重量：6.6 公斤 (含底座)
尺寸：高37 厘米 (不含底座)，總40.8 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的十七世紀的拉克希米·納拉揚石碑，高37.3 厘米, 見紐約邦翰思Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art 2014年9月17 日 lot 3, 售價USD 11,875。比較一件相近的十七世紀難近母石碑，高29 厘米，見巴黎佳士得Art d’Asie 2019年6月12日lot 231, 售價EUR 8,125。