A RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF UMA, BANTEAY SREI STYLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY

A RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF UMA, BANTEAY SREI STYLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 325, LA 1967, A. Maynard, Khmer Banteay Srei (before Baphuon) Uma w. jeweled sarong.”
Gallery price: EUR 185,000 or approx.

EUR 309,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force.

Expert's note: This impressive sandstone figure of Uma is a fine example of Banteay Srei sculpture, with the modeling of the torso, the curled end of the sarong above the belt, and the elegant central pleat all characteristic of this style. It further anticipates Baphuon female figures in its frontal stance, ovoid skirt, wide at the hips and narrowing around the knees, and the sarong raised at the back and curving down below the navel. According to Boisselier, the highly decorative style of Banteay Srei inspired the development of Baphuon-period sculpture, a manner that became increasingly embellished as it reached its zenith during the Angkor Wat period a century later, see Helen Ibbitson Jessup and Thierry Zephir (eds.), Millennium of Glory, 1997, page 255.

Khmer Empire. Exquisitely carved standing in samabhanga, the voluptuous deity dressed in a long, striated sampot tied at the front, the long central fold elegantly culminating in a fishtail hem, held together at the hips with a patterned belt fastened in a stylized knot and suspending floral tassels. Her serene expression with finely incised almond-shaped eyes, full lips forming a calm smile, and a broad nose, her hair arranged into a tiered conical chignon behind the flaring foliate tiara.

Provenance: Adrian Maynard, London, by 1967. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Denmark, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above before 2005. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for at least 21 years.

Adrian Maynard joined Spink & Sons in 1947, where he was appointed Director from 1962 and eventually Deputy Chairman until his retirement in 1984. He was a man of enormous drive and undoubtedly the most flamboyant character to take charge of the Asian art department, which he took to the height of its success. Maynard believed firmly that "a dealer, whose fortune and good name depends on knowing what to buy, has a much greater responsibility to be right about the objects that come into his hands than, say, an academic, who never handles large sums of money.”

Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.

Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.

Important Note: For essential information on the

Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger

Condition: Good condition with expected wear, obvious losses, signs of weathering and erosion, few minor old fills, chips, nicks, scratches. The stone with a fine, naturally grown patina.

Weight: 31.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 91.3 cm (excl. stand), 100.6 cm (incl. stand)

With an associated stand. (2)

Banteay Srei is a tenth-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was consecrated in 967 and is unique among the major monuments of Angkor in that it was not commissioned by a monarch, but by two court officials, Vishnukumara and Yajnavaraha. It is located near Phnom Dei, about twenty-five kilometers northeast of the main Angkor temple group, associated with the former capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. The temple was originally known as Tribhuvanamaheshvara, meaning 'Great Lord of the Threefold World', referring to the Shaivite linga that served as its principal sacred image. Its modern name, Banteay Srei, is commonly translated as 'Citadel of Women' or 'Citadel of Beauty', in reference to the exceptional refinement of its sculpture. The treatment of the face, crown, and tall chignon of the present piece are, like many Banteay Srei style examples, very closely related to Koh Ker-Pre Rup sculpture of the tenth century.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related sandstone figure of a female divinity, Baphuon style, 11th century, 69 cm tall, in the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.785.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 31 March 2005, lot 120
Price: USD 240,000 or approx.

EUR 356,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray sandstone figure of Uma, Khmer, Angkor period, Baphuon style, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving. Note the much larger size (151.2 cm) and slightly later date.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2007, lot 270
Price: USD 66,000 or approx.

EUR 89,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A sandstone figure of Uma, Khmer, Angkor period, Baphuon style, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving. Note the smaller size (72.1 cm) and slightly later date.

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