A MAJAPAHIT VOLCANIC STONE FIGURE OF NANDI, JAVA, 13TH - 15TH CENTURYThe divine bull in a recumbent pose atop a double lotus base with three feet tucked under the body and the right front leg raised with the knee bent. The head turned and the tail swept to one side, adorned with a necklace suspending a large bell, the face with almond-shaped eyes, a floral ornament to his nose ridge, and flanked by long ears.Provenance: The collection of Anacleto Spazzapan. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above. Anacleto Spazzapan (born 1943) is a noted Italian archaeologist who, after retiring, became a successful furniture designer in Italy. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected losses, few chips and nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, structural cracks, and encrustations.Dimensions: Length 54 cm, Height 43.5 cmNandi is Shiva's mount and the gatekeeper of Shiva in Hindu mythology. He is seen as full of joy (nandi) in the presence of his master. An image of controlled virility and devotion, he would typically be placed in front of a Shiva temple facing a shrine.Literature comparison:Compare a related andesite statue of Parvati standing on Nandi, East Javanese period, 14th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2001.407.