A BRONZE FIGURE OF MOHINI, PALA PERIOD Lot n° 278

A BRONZE FIGURE OF MOHINI, PALA PERIOD Bangladesh, 9th-10th century. Standing in samabhanga on a flat lotus base raised on a plinth from which issues a bovine head, her primary hands holding a pot containing Amirdham and a conch, the secondary arms of the enchantress resting on a chakra (wheel) and a gada (mace), her body richly adorned with beaded jewelry, her serene face with almond-shaped eyes and full lips, the hair tied in a tall chignon and the head surmounted by a crown, all framed by a throneback with foliate terminals and a richly carved mandorla topped by a kalasha. The front of the base incised with an illegible inscription. Provenance: Günther Heil Collection (1938-2014), Berlin, Germany, and thence by descent. Lempertz, Cologne, 9 December 2016, lot 547 (sold for EUR 5,208 or approx. EUR 6,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). A private collection in Monaco, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition with wear and casting flaws, minor losses, rubbing, small nicks and dents, minor warping. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations. Weight: 243.3 g Dimensions: Height 12.6 cm Literature comparison: Compare a closely related copper alloy figure of Vishnu, also dated to the 9th century, in the British Museum, museum number 2014,3025.1. Compare a closely related bronze figure of Vishnu, dated to the 8th-9th century, in the Art Institute Chicago, reference number 1985.1109.