Stele of the god Surya - very nice quality - India, northeast zone (Bihar, West Bengal or Bangladesh) Pala period, 10th-11th century A.D. Black stone, chlorite. 108 cm Height and 52 cm width. Condition: Very good see photos, not restored, only the central god figure lost the arms. Provenance: Private collection, Asia. In Hinduism, Surya is the god of the Sun, in his triple aspect of beneficent deity who enlightens, vivifies and nourishes. He was worshipped for centuries in temples specially dedicated to him. Eventually his position within the Hindu pantheon was eclipsed by Vishnu, so that now in modern times, Surya has a modest place among other gods who are associated with the planets and celestial bodies. This symmetrical stele is crowned by Kirtimukha. Surya is centrally located, at a larger size, in a frontal pose, on a lotus flower, in his chariot, symbolically depicted as a single wheel in the lower center of the stele. The chariot travels across the sky pulled by seven horses, one of which is shown frontally inside the wheel and the other six are at the sides. He is accompanied by his two consorts, at a smaller size, Usha (the dawn) and Chaya (the shadow). Behind them, two male attendants Danda (the measurer, holding a sword) and Pingala (scribe or recorder, pot-bellied, bearded and holding a pen and inkwell). And in front, at a smaller size, two archers. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union). NOT TAXES. - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. #MorganNiquetCollection