A SMALL STUCCO HEAD OF A YOUTH OR YOUTHFUL BUDDHIST FIGURE, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA
A SMALL STUCCO HEAD OF A YOUTH OR YOUTHFUL BUDDHIST FIGURE, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 173, PS UK 1995, Gandhara 3rd c.”
Gallery price: EUR 850 or approx.
EUR 1,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
3rd-5th century. Finely modelled with lowered eyes beneath gently arched brows, softly pursed lips forming a serene expression, rounded youthful features, and tightly clustered curls. The absence of a clearly defined ushnisha leaves open whether the head represents the youthful Buddha or a young attendant or devotee.
Provenance: Peter Sloane, London, United Kingdom, by 1995. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 31 years. The stand with an old collector's number '173'.
Peter Sloane is a dealer operating from the Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London, specializing in Indian, African, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan tribal and ethnographic art.
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 old wear, obvious losses, scattered chips and nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.
Weight: 423 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 9.7 cm (excl. stand), 14.5 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated modern stand. (2)
In addition to schist, stucco was a popular medium for sculpture in the ancient Gandhara region. A lightweight, malleable ware, stucco readily lends itself to delicate detailing and sensitive modeling, conveying an emotional presence exemplified in this fine head of youthful Buddha.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related stucco head of Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, dated 4th century, 6.5 cm tall, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 31.106.7.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1055
Price: USD 4,750 or approx.
EUR 5,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A stucco head of buddha ancient region of Gandhara, Kushan period, 3rd/4th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar subject and modeling.
Buyer's Premium
30%
A SMALL STUCCO HEAD OF A YOUTH OR YOUTHFUL BUDDHIST FIGURE, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 173, PS UK 1995, Gandhara 3rd c.”
Gallery price: EUR 850 or approx.
EUR 1,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
3rd-5th century. Finely modelled with lowered eyes beneath gently arched brows, softly pursed lips forming a serene expression, rounded youthful features, and tightly clustered curls. The absence of a clearly defined ushnisha leaves open whether the head represents the youthful Buddha or a young attendant or devotee.
Provenance: Peter Sloane, London, United Kingdom, by 1995. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 31 years. The stand with an old collector's number '173'.
Peter Sloane is a dealer operating from the Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London, specializing in Indian, African, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan tribal and ethnographic art.
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 old wear, obvious losses, scattered chips and nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.
Weight: 423 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 9.7 cm (excl. stand), 14.5 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated modern stand. (2)
In addition to schist, stucco was a popular medium for sculpture in the ancient Gandhara region. A lightweight, malleable ware, stucco readily lends itself to delicate detailing and sensitive modeling, conveying an emotional presence exemplified in this fine head of youthful Buddha.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related stucco head of Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, dated 4th century, 6.5 cm tall, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 31.106.7.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1055
Price: USD 4,750 or approx.
EUR 5,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A stucco head of buddha ancient region of Gandhara, Kushan period, 3rd/4th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar subject and modeling.
Buyer's Premium
30%
