A RED SANDSTONE RELIEF OF BHAIRAVA, POST-GUPTA PERIOD, 7TH-9TH CENTURY Description India, Rajasthan or Central India. Finely carved standing in slight tribhanga with the lowered left hand holding a skull-cup and the raised secondary hands a trishula and three-headed naga. Dressed in a jeweled dhoti secured at the waist and wearing an upavita (sacred thread) across his left shoulder, the body richly adorned with beaded foliate jewelry. The face with a serene expression marked by heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, elegantly arched brows, and full bow-shaped lips forming a subtle smile, framed by the thick curly beard, flanked by elongated lobes suspending large circular earrings Provenance From the collection of Jean-Marc Andral, acquired in Rajasthan, India, in October 1990. A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Jean-Marc Andral, dated 21 July 2024, confirming the above, accompanies this lot. Jean-Marc Andral is a Belgian manager based in Brussels and active in the healthcare industry for over 25 years. Condition Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, chips, scattered nicks and scratches, encrustations, and signs of weathering and erosion. Weight: 13.8 kg Literature comparison Compare a related earlier Gupta mottled red sandstone head of Shiva from Mathura, dated early 5th century, with a similar expression, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EAOS.38. Compare two closely related sandstone figures, one depicting Harihara from Central India dated 7th century and an attendant from Rajasthan dated approx. 800-900, both with similar beaded jewelry, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, object numbers B70S1 and B73S8. Compare a related later pink sandstone head of Bhairava from Rajasthan, dated 11th century, in the Walters Art Museum, accession number 25.261. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1075 Price: USD 81,250 or approx. EUR 104,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A red sandstone figure of Kubera India, Madhya Pradesh, 8th-9th century Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving with similar earrings and necklace. Note the different size (90.8 cm). lien video https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8t8uls4zfn0h6l3urc1g5/AADg5dbUhjHb6fA_lzKyXIM?rlkey=yaj24zitl5pwtk6t7cqwku7dx&dl=0