A bronze figure of Chandeshvara

A bronze figure of Chandeshvara
Chola Period 12th century; South India
Sensitively cast with broad shoulders and muscular legs, the thin dhoti outlining the curves of his thighs and buttocks, the sensuous belly cinched by the simple sash, with his hands in anjalimudra, and adorned with simple necklaces, armbands, and a beaded mala on his crown
Overall: 20" H x 6.25" W x 6.5" D
Provenance: George P. Bickford Collection, Cleveland, OH, by 1957
The Collection of Walter and Nesta Spink, Ann Arbor, MI, acquired November 1981

Literature: Stanislaw Czuma, "Indian Art from the George P. Bickford Collection" (Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1975), cat. no. 18

Exhibited: "Indian Art from the George P. Bickford Collection," The Cleveland Museum of Art, January 14 - February 16, 1975; University Art Museum, University of Texas, Austin, March 20 - April 25, 1975; Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois, Champaign, October 5 - November 9, 1975; Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, February 3 - March 7, 1976; University Gallery, University of Florida, Gainesville, March 28 - May 3, 1976; Phoenix Art Museum, May 28 - July 30, 1976; University Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley, October 5 - November 28, 1976; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, January 2 - February 13, 1977, cat. no. 18

Other Notes: The Shaiva saints, of which there are sixty-three, are known as nayanars. They were part of a community of holy persons traveling the countryside, stopping at temples along the way to sing the glories of the enshrined deity. Their hymns form the sacred canon of South India.

The images of the saints are ideal portraits, transfigured by bhakti, the state of loving devotion. Chandeshvara is the principal guardian of Shiva. During the Chola period, all Shaiva temples had a separate shrine dedicated to Chandeshvara, usually on the northern side near the inner sanctum.

Though Dr. Stan Czuma described this work as an Alvar saint in his book, "Indian Art from the George P. Bickford Collection," the rudraksha necklaces and mala atop this figure's head identify him as a Shaivite saint. Dr. Czuma additionally wrote, "Stylistically the bronze represents mature Chola work." A very similar figure of the same saint, of the same style and date, almost the same size, and from the Belmont and Pan-Asian collections, was sold for $482,500 (see Christie's sale 2461, lot 270, on September 13, 2011). Another Chola bronze figure, of Shiva Vinadhara Dakshinamurti, also from the Bickford Collection and published in the same book, sold for $1.3m (see Christie's sale 2687, lot 220, on March 19, 2013).
Condition Report: Variegated green-brown patina with superficial nicks and scratches overall, as expected of this material and age. Beige encrustation, with some pigment, remaining in recessed areas. The nose has been repaired. Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.