A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY
A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-11TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 165, HH 1985, Ex Spinks, India Central 11th c. dancer.”
Gallery price: EUR 7,200 or approx.
EUR 12,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Rajasthan or Central India. Finely carved, standing in a dynamic pose atop a stylized pedestal, with her left hand poised next to her head, the right clutching an attribute close to her slender stomach, as she twists her body in a dancing motion. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti secured by a festooned belt, the deity is richly adorned with elaborate jewelry around her neck and waist. Her face with downcast almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a beguiling smile, flanked by ears with large circular earrings, framed by the neatly incised hair in an elegant chignon.
Provenance: Spink & Son, London. Collection of Hans Henningsen, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above in 1985. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 41 years.
Hans Henningsen (d. 1999) was a Danish engineer and discerning collector of ancient art, with a particular focus on Egyptian antiquities. From the 1960s onward, Henningsen travelled extensively, visiting museums, dealers, antique shops, and flea markets across continental Europe and Britain. He also made repeated journeys to Egypt at a time when antiquities could still be purchased there legally. Living near Copenhagen's antique district, he was a constant presence among local dealers and became both a friend and mentor to Jorgen Ruben, as well as an early and frequent customer of Ruben's first gallery in Copenhagen. He introduced Ruben to trusted specialists in London and shared with him his deep knowledge of Egyptian art. Henningsen valued quality above all: whether complete, fragmentary, or restored, an object interested him for its artistic merit, craftsmanship, and authenticity.
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, commensurate with age. Expected wear, obvious losses, old repairs, chips, nicks and scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations.
Weight: 33.9 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 77.5 cm (excl. stand), 78.5 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
In Indian art, a surasundari (lit. 'beautiful goddess') is a young maiden characterizing feminine beauty and graceful sensuality. Buddhist and Jain shrines have featured sensual figures in form of yakshis and other spirits since the 2nd century BC. However, the surasundari motif gained prominence in Indian temple architecture only around the beginning of the 9th century. Shilpa-Prakasha, a 9th-century Tantric architectural treatise, declares a monument without a surasundari as inferior and fruitless. The 15th century text Kshirarnava states that the surasundaris should be depicted looking down (adho-drishti), not looking at someone. In temple sculptures, the surasundaris are often depicted as attendants of gods and goddesses. They also manifest as dancing apsaras. A salabhanjika or tree nymph is another variation of a surasundari.
The Chandela dynasty (c. 831-1203 AD) became a great power in Central and Northern India during the 10th century. Thereafter successive rulers built magnificent temples at Khajuraho and elsewhere in their realm, to commemorate their military victories. As their influence expanded, their exquisite architectural style became admired across much of India, as indeed, it is now around the world. Chandela kings commissioned some of the finest temples in India. The best known of these today are in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, now a village but once the Chandela capital. Other temples, no longer standing, were located throughout their realm.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 23 September 2004, lot 43
Price: USD 71,700 or approx.
EUR 109,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Indian buff sandstone figure of Surasundari, India, Madhya or Uttar Pradesh, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar adornments, form, and size (78.7 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 704
Price: USD 137,500 or approx.
EUR 146,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare buff sandstone figure of Salabhanjika, Central India, Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh, 10th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar form, adornments, expression, and size (83.8 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
A RED SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A CELESTIAL BEAUTY, SURASUNDARI, CENTRAL INDIA, CHANDELA DYNASTY, 10TH-11TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 165, HH 1985, Ex Spinks, India Central 11th c. dancer.”
Gallery price: EUR 7,200 or approx.
EUR 12,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Rajasthan or Central India. Finely carved, standing in a dynamic pose atop a stylized pedestal, with her left hand poised next to her head, the right clutching an attribute close to her slender stomach, as she twists her body in a dancing motion. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti secured by a festooned belt, the deity is richly adorned with elaborate jewelry around her neck and waist. Her face with downcast almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a beguiling smile, flanked by ears with large circular earrings, framed by the neatly incised hair in an elegant chignon.
Provenance: Spink & Son, London. Collection of Hans Henningsen, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above in 1985. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 41 years.
Hans Henningsen (d. 1999) was a Danish engineer and discerning collector of ancient art, with a particular focus on Egyptian antiquities. From the 1960s onward, Henningsen travelled extensively, visiting museums, dealers, antique shops, and flea markets across continental Europe and Britain. He also made repeated journeys to Egypt at a time when antiquities could still be purchased there legally. Living near Copenhagen's antique district, he was a constant presence among local dealers and became both a friend and mentor to Jorgen Ruben, as well as an early and frequent customer of Ruben's first gallery in Copenhagen. He introduced Ruben to trusted specialists in London and shared with him his deep knowledge of Egyptian art. Henningsen valued quality above all: whether complete, fragmentary, or restored, an object interested him for its artistic merit, craftsmanship, and authenticity.
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, commensurate with age. Expected wear, obvious losses, old repairs, chips, nicks and scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations.
Weight: 33.9 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 77.5 cm (excl. stand), 78.5 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
In Indian art, a surasundari (lit. 'beautiful goddess') is a young maiden characterizing feminine beauty and graceful sensuality. Buddhist and Jain shrines have featured sensual figures in form of yakshis and other spirits since the 2nd century BC. However, the surasundari motif gained prominence in Indian temple architecture only around the beginning of the 9th century. Shilpa-Prakasha, a 9th-century Tantric architectural treatise, declares a monument without a surasundari as inferior and fruitless. The 15th century text Kshirarnava states that the surasundaris should be depicted looking down (adho-drishti), not looking at someone. In temple sculptures, the surasundaris are often depicted as attendants of gods and goddesses. They also manifest as dancing apsaras. A salabhanjika or tree nymph is another variation of a surasundari.
The Chandela dynasty (c. 831-1203 AD) became a great power in Central and Northern India during the 10th century. Thereafter successive rulers built magnificent temples at Khajuraho and elsewhere in their realm, to commemorate their military victories. As their influence expanded, their exquisite architectural style became admired across much of India, as indeed, it is now around the world. Chandela kings commissioned some of the finest temples in India. The best known of these today are in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, now a village but once the Chandela capital. Other temples, no longer standing, were located throughout their realm.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 23 September 2004, lot 43
Price: USD 71,700 or approx.
EUR 109,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Indian buff sandstone figure of Surasundari, India, Madhya or Uttar Pradesh, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar adornments, form, and size (78.7 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 704
Price: USD 137,500 or approx.
EUR 146,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare buff sandstone figure of Salabhanjika, Central India, Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh, 10th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar form, adornments, expression, and size (83.8 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
