AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU, BAKHENG STYLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU, BAKHENG 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. 335, LA 1972, A. Maynard, Khmer Bakheng, bejeweled Vishnu 10th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 115,000 or approx.
EUR 192,000 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: The present sculpture combines elements of the Bakheng and Koh Ker styles of the late 9th and early 10th centuries, and features a rare and unusual lotiform chignon. Compare a related Khmer sandstone figure of a yaksha with similar lotiform chignon, dated end of the first quarter of the 10th century, 170 cm high, illustrated in Emma C. Bunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, 2004, p. 128, no. 37a, b, where the authors note the “combination of Bakheng-style dress and Koh Ker-style diadem”.
Khmer Empire, Cambodia. Masterfully carved, depicted standing firmly in samabhanga, clad in a knee-length pleated sampot with a double fishtail hem that falls gracefully at the front, secured by a sash at the waist. The bare torso defined with subtly contoured breasts and adorned with elaborate jewelry rendered in high relief. The finely sculpted face conveys a serene expression, with almond-shaped eyes beneath delicately arched brows, a broad nose, and full lips forming a restrained smile. Long, pendulous earlobes, embellished with floral earrings, frame the countenance. The hair is neatly arranged and surmounted by a distinctive lotus-bud finial, secured by an intricately ornamented foliate tiara.
Provenance: Adrian Maynard, London, by 1972. 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: Very good condition with old wear, expected traces of weathering and erosion, obvious losses, few minor old fills, and old smoothed chips. The stone with a fine, naturally grown patina.
Weight: 62.6 kg
Dimensions: Height 114.5 cm (excl. stand), 123.4 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated metal stand. (2)
While sculptures of the Bakheng style are generally characterized by a severe stylization in the treatment of the torso, drapery, and facial features, the present example displays an unusual lightness and gentle sensuality that aligns it closely with slightly later traditions, notably the Koh Ker (928-944) and the Pre Rup (944-968) styles. This affinity is suggested by the subtle high-relief rendering of the folds of the sampot and by the delicate benevolence of the facial expression. At the same time, the work retains a defining Bakheng characteristic in the treatment of the eyebrows, rendered as a continuous raised ridge, a distinctive formal convention of the style.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2009, lot 1428
Price: USD 146,500 or approx.
EUR 199,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A monumental gray sandstone figure of a Dvarapala, Khmer, Koh Ker Style, 10th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving with similar facial features and jewelry. Note the larger size (129.5 cm) and state of preservation.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 8 May 2002, lot 621
Price: EUR 35,850 or approx.
EUR 61,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine Khmer, Koh Ker style, sandstone figure of a male deity, late 9th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving. Note the size (101 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU, BAKHENG 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. 335, LA 1972, A. Maynard, Khmer Bakheng, bejeweled Vishnu 10th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 115,000 or approx.
EUR 192,000 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: The present sculpture combines elements of the Bakheng and Koh Ker styles of the late 9th and early 10th centuries, and features a rare and unusual lotiform chignon. Compare a related Khmer sandstone figure of a yaksha with similar lotiform chignon, dated end of the first quarter of the 10th century, 170 cm high, illustrated in Emma C. Bunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, 2004, p. 128, no. 37a, b, where the authors note the “combination of Bakheng-style dress and Koh Ker-style diadem”.
Khmer Empire, Cambodia. Masterfully carved, depicted standing firmly in samabhanga, clad in a knee-length pleated sampot with a double fishtail hem that falls gracefully at the front, secured by a sash at the waist. The bare torso defined with subtly contoured breasts and adorned with elaborate jewelry rendered in high relief. The finely sculpted face conveys a serene expression, with almond-shaped eyes beneath delicately arched brows, a broad nose, and full lips forming a restrained smile. Long, pendulous earlobes, embellished with floral earrings, frame the countenance. The hair is neatly arranged and surmounted by a distinctive lotus-bud finial, secured by an intricately ornamented foliate tiara.
Provenance: Adrian Maynard, London, by 1972. 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: Very good condition with old wear, expected traces of weathering and erosion, obvious losses, few minor old fills, and old smoothed chips. The stone with a fine, naturally grown patina.
Weight: 62.6 kg
Dimensions: Height 114.5 cm (excl. stand), 123.4 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated metal stand. (2)
While sculptures of the Bakheng style are generally characterized by a severe stylization in the treatment of the torso, drapery, and facial features, the present example displays an unusual lightness and gentle sensuality that aligns it closely with slightly later traditions, notably the Koh Ker (928-944) and the Pre Rup (944-968) styles. This affinity is suggested by the subtle high-relief rendering of the folds of the sampot and by the delicate benevolence of the facial expression. At the same time, the work retains a defining Bakheng characteristic in the treatment of the eyebrows, rendered as a continuous raised ridge, a distinctive formal convention of the style.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2009, lot 1428
Price: USD 146,500 or approx.
EUR 199,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A monumental gray sandstone figure of a Dvarapala, Khmer, Koh Ker Style, 10th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving with similar facial features and jewelry. Note the larger size (129.5 cm) and state of preservation.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 8 May 2002, lot 621
Price: EUR 35,850 or approx.
EUR 61,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine Khmer, Koh Ker style, sandstone figure of a male deity, late 9th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving. Note the size (101 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
