A BRONZE 'GARUDA' LAMP STAND, EASTERN HIMACHAL PRADESH, KULLU, 16TH CENTURY
A BRONZE 'GARUDA' LAMP STAND, EASTERN HIMACHAL PRADESH, KULLU, 16TH CENTURY
India. Finely cast, the figure of Garuda, celestial vehicle (vahana) of Vishnu, shown kneeling upon a tiered square pedestal raised on short feet, one knee raised laterally while the other rests upon a cobra with its hood raised in submission. His hands are joined before the chest in anjali mudra, emphasizing his devotional role, while a second cobra rises at the opposite side. Large flared wings extend behind the shoulders, the individual feathers carefully articulated. The upright head is distinguished by almond-shaped eyes, a prominent curved beak, and a calm, concentrated expression, framed by a simple headdress.
Rising from the reverse is a tall tubular stem with a flared socket, originally intended to support a now-lost oil-lamp tray, thus combining the devotional image of Garuda with the practical function of a ritual lamp stand. The whole is raised on a broad stepped base with beaded borders and short feet.
Provenance: From an old private collection in Berlin, Germany, and thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition with wear, casting irregularities, small nicks, few dings, rubbing, warping to the base, corrosion, small losses, and signs of use. The bronze with a naturally grown patina with areas of encrustations.
Weight: 458.2 g
Dimensions: Height 11.9 cm
The mythical bird Garuda has a long ancestry in Indian mythology and was originally conceived as a sun bird. Because of Vishnu's early career as a solar deity in Vedic mythology, he came to inherit Garuda as his mount. Garuda is also an avowed enemy of snakes, trampling one here with his knee. Because he is a creature of fantasy, Garuda had particular appeal for the artists in all of Indian Asia and the countless varieties of his images reflect the unlimited possibilities of the human imagination.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related brass figure of Garuda, Eastern Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, dated to the 16th century, 13 cm high, and illustrated in M. Postel, A. Neven, and K. Mankodi, Antiquities of Himachal, 1985, fig. 278. Compare a closely related bronze figure of Garuda, Himachal Pradesh, Kulu, dated 1521, 14 cm high, illustrated by Pratapaditya Pal, Art from the Himalayas & China: Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, 2003, p. 59, no. 29.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 11 December 2024, lot 190
Mid-estimate: EUR 6,000 or approx.
EUR 6,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Garuda, India, possibly Orissa, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with similar pose, also kneeling on a snake with outstretched wings and hands held in the same mudra. Note the larger size (24 cm) and the later date.
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A BRONZE 'GARUDA' LAMP STAND, EASTERN HIMACHAL PRADESH, KULLU, 16TH CENTURY
India. Finely cast, the figure of Garuda, celestial vehicle (vahana) of Vishnu, shown kneeling upon a tiered square pedestal raised on short feet, one knee raised laterally while the other rests upon a cobra with its hood raised in submission. His hands are joined before the chest in anjali mudra, emphasizing his devotional role, while a second cobra rises at the opposite side. Large flared wings extend behind the shoulders, the individual feathers carefully articulated. The upright head is distinguished by almond-shaped eyes, a prominent curved beak, and a calm, concentrated expression, framed by a simple headdress.
Rising from the reverse is a tall tubular stem with a flared socket, originally intended to support a now-lost oil-lamp tray, thus combining the devotional image of Garuda with the practical function of a ritual lamp stand. The whole is raised on a broad stepped base with beaded borders and short feet.
Provenance: From an old private collection in Berlin, Germany, and thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition with wear, casting irregularities, small nicks, few dings, rubbing, warping to the base, corrosion, small losses, and signs of use. The bronze with a naturally grown patina with areas of encrustations.
Weight: 458.2 g
Dimensions: Height 11.9 cm
The mythical bird Garuda has a long ancestry in Indian mythology and was originally conceived as a sun bird. Because of Vishnu's early career as a solar deity in Vedic mythology, he came to inherit Garuda as his mount. Garuda is also an avowed enemy of snakes, trampling one here with his knee. Because he is a creature of fantasy, Garuda had particular appeal for the artists in all of Indian Asia and the countless varieties of his images reflect the unlimited possibilities of the human imagination.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related brass figure of Garuda, Eastern Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, dated to the 16th century, 13 cm high, and illustrated in M. Postel, A. Neven, and K. Mankodi, Antiquities of Himachal, 1985, fig. 278. Compare a closely related bronze figure of Garuda, Himachal Pradesh, Kulu, dated 1521, 14 cm high, illustrated by Pratapaditya Pal, Art from the Himalayas & China: Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, 2003, p. 59, no. 29.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 11 December 2024, lot 190
Mid-estimate: EUR 6,000 or approx.
EUR 6,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Garuda, India, possibly Orissa, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with similar pose, also kneeling on a snake with outstretched wings and hands held in the same mudra. Note the larger size (24 cm) and the later date.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
