A BLACK STONE STELE OF BHAIRAVA, PALA PERIOD, LATE 11TH-EARLY 12TH CENTURY Description Eastern India. Exquisitely carved standing in a slight tribhanga, the pot-bellied deity, the fierce avatar of Shiva, holds a khatavanga (staff) and animal tooth in his primary hands, the raised secondary arms with a khadga (sword) and khetaka (shield). Dressed in a short dhoti, the deity is adorned with a mundamala, serpent earrings, skull and serpent ornaments in his headdress, and a necklace made of tiger claws. His grinning expression seems to belie his fierce nature, but unlike benign deities, who smile without parting their lips, Bhairava's open-mouthed grin bares his teeth and contributes to his terrifying countenance. His beard, mustache, bulging eyes, and flaming hair also convey his frightening nature. Bhairava is flanked by two attendants with a fly-whisk in hand, as well as devotees and donors to the sides, with celestial garland bearers above, all under the kirtimukha to the top. Provenance Collection of Yvette Starck, Luxembourg, and thence by descent to Jacques Grosbusch, Luxembourg. A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Jacques Grosbusch, dated 31 July 2024, and confirming the above, accompanies this lot. Condition Very good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, obvious losses, small chips, few nicks, encrustations, remnants of varnish to the edges, and signs of weathering and erosion. Weight: 40 kg Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Pala black stone stele of Bhairava dated late 11th-early 12th century in the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, accession number 2006.71. Compare a closely related Pala stone stele of Siva Bhairava from Bihar, dated 11th century, 99 cm high, illustrated by Susan L. and John C. Huntington, Leaves from the Bodhi Tree: The Art of Pala India (8th-12th centuries) and Its International Legacy, 1990, p. 154-155, 424, cat. no. 28. Auction result comparison Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 73 Price: USD 43,750 or approx. EUR 56,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A blackstone figure of Vishnu Vamana, Orissa, circa 12th century Expert remark: Compare the related form, stone, and manner of carving. Note the different subject and size (105.3 cm). video https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uyhhbjaj0qdd1c28yu5yx/AObqN2-l5rE-xH2V-uT7KaY?rlkey=vjlxk131nm9li7vyx90siopcj&dl=0