Inde Pāla Black stone, possibly basalt or dense gray shale. Fragment of a stele depicting Uma-Maheshvara. - 36 cm
18
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Current bid
€ 175
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 3,100 - € 3,700
 | €175 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €2 | |
| €1 |
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Pala Dynasty fragment of a stele from North‑East India, depicting Uma‑Maheshvara, carved in black stone (basalt or dense gray schist), 36 cm high, 13 cm wide and 10 cm deep, dating to the late 11th–early 12th century, with archaeological wear, losses and small old chips; authenticity original.
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Description from the seller
Important fragment of a stele fragment depicting Uma-Maheshvara
Northeast India – Pāla Dynasty – 11th-12th century
Remarkable fragment of a black stone stele representing Uma-Maheshvara, one of the most intimate and emblematic images of medieval Shaivite iconography from eastern India.
The divine couple, Shiva and his wife Uma-Parvati, is depicted in close proximity. Shiva tilts his face toward the goddess and, in a particularly tender gesture, raises his chin to draw her gaze toward his own. This stance, characteristic of Uma-Maheshvara representations, expresses as much the conjugal union of the two deities as the metaphysical unity of masculine and feminine principles.
Despite its fragmentary nature, the sculpture retains great visual force. The two faces, the high hairstyles, the jewelry, as well as a substantial portion of the couple’s gestural language remain clearly legible. The whole is framed by a relief-sculpted architectural surround, while the upper part preserves celestial figures arranged on either side of the summital decor.
The depth of the relief, the density of the dark stone, and the elaborate treatment of the ornaments align with the North-Eastern Indian sculptural tradition under the Pāla dynasty, in the 11th-12th centuries.
The depiction of Uma-Maheshvara celebrates the linganā, the sacred embrace uniting Shiva and Uma. In Pāla-period art, this spiritual union is expressed with remarkable sensuality: the couple’s physical closeness becomes the visible manifestation of a deeper religious reality.
Provenance
Former collection of Mrs. L., France.
Condition
Good condition considering the age and archaeological nature of the work. Old fragment with significant losses corresponding to partial conservation of the stele. Wear, surface erosion, concretions, small chips, scratches, and historical accidents visible.
The piece is presented on an independent modern base, allowing excellent display of the relief.
Dimensions and weight
Height of the sculpture: 26.5 cm
Dimensions with base: about 36 × 10 × 13 cm
Total weight: about 3.8 kg
Comparison
To be compared notably with stone representations of Uma-Maheshvara produced in eastern India during the Pāla period, including a basalt stele of the XIIth century preserved at the Chittagong University Museum, Bangladesh, inv. CUM 771.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tepul3q9msxkgi7ntntj5/AFJAV6rJCCKbDKhzp03RS5c?rlkey=p43e9r7wn642wf8v8ytxyk746&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateImportant fragment of a stele fragment depicting Uma-Maheshvara
Northeast India – Pāla Dynasty – 11th-12th century
Remarkable fragment of a black stone stele representing Uma-Maheshvara, one of the most intimate and emblematic images of medieval Shaivite iconography from eastern India.
The divine couple, Shiva and his wife Uma-Parvati, is depicted in close proximity. Shiva tilts his face toward the goddess and, in a particularly tender gesture, raises his chin to draw her gaze toward his own. This stance, characteristic of Uma-Maheshvara representations, expresses as much the conjugal union of the two deities as the metaphysical unity of masculine and feminine principles.
Despite its fragmentary nature, the sculpture retains great visual force. The two faces, the high hairstyles, the jewelry, as well as a substantial portion of the couple’s gestural language remain clearly legible. The whole is framed by a relief-sculpted architectural surround, while the upper part preserves celestial figures arranged on either side of the summital decor.
The depth of the relief, the density of the dark stone, and the elaborate treatment of the ornaments align with the North-Eastern Indian sculptural tradition under the Pāla dynasty, in the 11th-12th centuries.
The depiction of Uma-Maheshvara celebrates the linganā, the sacred embrace uniting Shiva and Uma. In Pāla-period art, this spiritual union is expressed with remarkable sensuality: the couple’s physical closeness becomes the visible manifestation of a deeper religious reality.
Provenance
Former collection of Mrs. L., France.
Condition
Good condition considering the age and archaeological nature of the work. Old fragment with significant losses corresponding to partial conservation of the stele. Wear, surface erosion, concretions, small chips, scratches, and historical accidents visible.
The piece is presented on an independent modern base, allowing excellent display of the relief.
Dimensions and weight
Height of the sculpture: 26.5 cm
Dimensions with base: about 36 × 10 × 13 cm
Total weight: about 3.8 kg
Comparison
To be compared notably with stone representations of Uma-Maheshvara produced in eastern India during the Pāla period, including a basalt stele of the XIIth century preserved at the Chittagong University Museum, Bangladesh, inv. CUM 771.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tepul3q9msxkgi7ntntj5/AFJAV6rJCCKbDKhzp03RS5c?rlkey=p43e9r7wn642wf8v8ytxyk746&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
Inde Pāla
Century/timeframe
Fin XIe – début XIIe siècle vers 1080–1130
Name of object
Fragment of a stele depicting Uma-Maheshvara.
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2024
Material
Black stone, possibly basalt or dense gray shale.
Country acquired from
France
Condition
Archaeological condition showing wear, missing parts, and small ancient chips.
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
36 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1990
Width
13 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
France
Depth
10 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
