A LARGE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT POTTERY FIGURE OF A MALE DEITY, ANCIENT REGION OF HUND, PAKISTAN, 7TH-8TH CENTURY

Scientific Analysis Report:
A thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Arcadia, Tecnologie Per I Beni Culturali, Milan, dated 2 October 2015, reference no. 347E. The test confirms the sculpture is “in good agreement with the presumed age, and therefore confirms the authenticity of the samples.” A copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot.

Gracefully modeled, seated with arms slightly outstretched, the head gently lowered and turned to the side with a downcast gaze, the eyes with delicately carved pupils and lids, below elegantly arched brows, above bow-shaped lips. His slender yet muscular body is adorned with beaded jewelry, his head with an elaborate foliate crown, finely beaded.


Provenance:
Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, Italy. Mr. Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somaré art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is run by his two sons.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. Ancient wear from within the culture, weathering and erosion, expected firing flaws, remnants of old pigment, obvious losses, cracks, and chips, overall fully consistent with the age of the sculpture. A copy of a conservational report, edited by Nicola Restauri SRL, Torino, Italy, titled “Report of Interventions Performed” (title translated from Italian) is accompanying the present lot. This report is an integrated component of this condition report.
To receive a PDF copy of this dossier, please refer to the department.


Italian Export License:
Attestato di libera circolazione, N. 16820, dated 16 February 2016 has been granted by the Ufficio Esportazione di Milano and a copy accompanies this lot.

Dimensions: Height 98.5 cm


Hund
, known in antiquity as Udabhandapura, was a small village in the Swabi district, situated on the right bank of the Indus River in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It was the Turk Shahi dynasty’s capital of Gandhara, and possibly functioned as a winter capital alternating with the summer capital of Kabul within the kingdom of Kapisa-Gandhara in the 7th-9th century. Old relics and remains of ancient civilizations have been found in the village after excavation work was undertaken by the government in the recent past. The history and past glory of the Hund has been preserved by the local government which constructed a museum and a replica of the tower of Olympia. The tower watches over the mighty Indus river, commemorating Alexander the Great’s crossing of the Indus while staying in Hund during his final military campaign for the Indian subcontinent.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related statue of a female Devata from Hund, dated 6th-7th century, in the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin. Compare a related male statue from Hund, dated 6th-7th century, in the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin. For another related example, see Michael Henss, “The Mystery of the Hund Statues: An Unknown Chapter of Central Asia Statuary”, Arts of Asia, vol. 46, issue 1, (January-February 2016), p. 28.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 12 June 2012, lot 304
Price: EUR 23,750 or approx.
EUR 28,500
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A terracotta bust of a celestial female attendant, Pakistan, Hund Region, circa 8th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar slender figure, elaborate beaded jewelry, and fine facial features. Note the
much smaller size (63 cm)
and the lacking legs, which have been preserved on the present lot.