A PAIR OF KHMER BRONZE 'GARUDA' PALANQUIN HOOKS, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLE
A PAIR OF KHMER BRONZE 'GARUDA' PALANQUIN HOOKS, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLE
Khmer Empire, 13th century. Each finely cast as Garuda standing upright, with bulging eyes, hooked beak, scrolling brows, and a foliate crest. The outstretched wings rise around the body in a fan-shaped aureole, finely detailed with layered plumage. The long, deeply fluted tail curves upward to form the hook, terminating in a second fierce Garuda head with elaborate foliate crest.
Provenance: The private collection of Peter Marks, New York, and thence by descent. Subsequently with Galerie Grusenmeyer Woliner, Brussels, Belgium.
Peter Marks (1935-2010) was a prominent New York dealer who founded Peter Marks Works of Art, Inc. in 1960, specializing particularly in Southeast Asian and Islamic antiquities. His gallery handled important works that subsequently entered major American institutions, including the National Museum of Asian Art, the Asia Society, and the Seattle Art Museum. Marks retired from dealing in 2002 and thereafter devoted himself to painting.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, casting irregularities, minor losses, areas of corrosion, signs of weathering, encrustations. The bronze has a fine, naturally grown, dark patina with malachite encrustation.
Weight: 324 g and 308 g (excl. stands), 429 g and 443 g (incl. stands)
Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm and 12 cm (excl. stands), 12 cm each (incl. stands)
Each with an associated stand. (4)
At the height of the Khmer Empire, royalty and aristocracy traveled in palanquins richly fitted with cast bronze suspension elements. Hooks such as the present pair supported rings from which the seat was suspended, combining practical function with elaborate imagery expressive of status and divine protection. Garuda, the bird-man mount of Vishnu and traditional enemy of the naga, was a potent emblem of divine power in Khmer art.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Khmer bronze palanquin hook, dated 1175-1230, 17.4 cm high, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 1982.12. Compare a related Khmer bronze palanquin hook, date late 12th-early 13th century, 26.7 cm high, in the collection of the Walters Art Museum, accession number 54.2959.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 21 May 2003, lot 680
Price: EUR 8,365 or approx.
EUR 13,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine pair of Khmer bronze palanquin hooks, 12th/13th century
Expert remark: Compare the related Garuda imagery and manner of casting. Note the larger size (22 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
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A PAIR OF KHMER BRONZE 'GARUDA' PALANQUIN HOOKS, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLE
Khmer Empire, 13th century. Each finely cast as Garuda standing upright, with bulging eyes, hooked beak, scrolling brows, and a foliate crest. The outstretched wings rise around the body in a fan-shaped aureole, finely detailed with layered plumage. The long, deeply fluted tail curves upward to form the hook, terminating in a second fierce Garuda head with elaborate foliate crest.
Provenance: The private collection of Peter Marks, New York, and thence by descent. Subsequently with Galerie Grusenmeyer Woliner, Brussels, Belgium.
Peter Marks (1935-2010) was a prominent New York dealer who founded Peter Marks Works of Art, Inc. in 1960, specializing particularly in Southeast Asian and Islamic antiquities. His gallery handled important works that subsequently entered major American institutions, including the National Museum of Asian Art, the Asia Society, and the Seattle Art Museum. Marks retired from dealing in 2002 and thereafter devoted himself to painting.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, casting irregularities, minor losses, areas of corrosion, signs of weathering, encrustations. The bronze has a fine, naturally grown, dark patina with malachite encrustation.
Weight: 324 g and 308 g (excl. stands), 429 g and 443 g (incl. stands)
Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm and 12 cm (excl. stands), 12 cm each (incl. stands)
Each with an associated stand. (4)
At the height of the Khmer Empire, royalty and aristocracy traveled in palanquins richly fitted with cast bronze suspension elements. Hooks such as the present pair supported rings from which the seat was suspended, combining practical function with elaborate imagery expressive of status and divine protection. Garuda, the bird-man mount of Vishnu and traditional enemy of the naga, was a potent emblem of divine power in Khmer art.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Khmer bronze palanquin hook, dated 1175-1230, 17.4 cm high, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 1982.12. Compare a related Khmer bronze palanquin hook, date late 12th-early 13th century, 26.7 cm high, in the collection of the Walters Art Museum, accession number 54.2959.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 21 May 2003, lot 680
Price: EUR 8,365 or approx.
EUR 13,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine pair of Khmer bronze palanquin hooks, 12th/13th century
Expert remark: Compare the related Garuda imagery and manner of casting. Note the larger size (22 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
