TETE DE SHIVA EN GRÈS INDE DU NORD, FIN DE LA... Lot n° 2

TETE DE SHIVA EN GRÈS INDE DU NORD, FIN DE LA PÉRIODE KUSHAN/DÉBUT DE LA PÉRIODE GUPTA, CIRCA IIIE SIÈCLE 13.5 cm (5 1/4 in.) high Footnotes: A SANDSTONE HEAD OF SHIVA NORTH INDIA, LATE KUSHAN/EARLY GUPTA PERIOD, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY 印度北部 貴霜晚期/笈多早期 約三世紀 砂岩濕婆首 Published: Arman Neven, Sculpture des Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 57, no. 15. Exhibited: Sculpture des Indes, Societe Generale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979. Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This red sandstone head of Shiva shows matted locks pulled back from his broad forehead above a prominent, horizontal third eye. A closely related stele of Uma-Maheshvara from Kausambi, which depicts Shiva's third eye in a similar manner, features an inscription reading 'year 139 of Maharaja Bhimavarman'. Scholars have interpreted this date as corresponding either to 217 CE, during the Kushan period, or 450 CE, during the Gupta period (Khandalavala, The Golden Age of the Gupta Empire, Mumbai, 1991, p. 19, no. 5). Nevertheless, the thin outline of the present sculpture's eyelids is more consistent with transitional Kushan-Gupta artworks, and thus aligned with an early 3rd-century date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com Fair overall condition, with ancient losses to the top side as evident in images. All features are heavily abraded. Significant losses to the nose, lower lip and chin. Please contact Sidney Lee (sidney.lee@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.