Northern India Terracotta Terracotta Buddha head. - 18 cm
13
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 2,200 - € 2,700
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Terracotta Buddha head, Northern India, late Gupta / early post-Gupta tradition, 6th century CE, height 18 cm, width 13 cm, depth 12 cm, good condition, authentic Original/official.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Terracotta Head of the Buddha, North India, late Gupta / early post-Gupta ancient tradition, 6th century CE.
Significant terracotta Buddha head, characterized by a full, meditative face, long earlobes and a remarkable coiffure composed of a very large number of circular and spiral curls developing over the entire crown and the back.
The elongated and lowered eyes, the widely arched eyebrows and the full-lipped mouth give the face a serene and introspective expression. The raised protuberance corresponds to the uṣṇīṣa, one of the main iconographic signs of the Buddha. The combination of this uṣṇīṣa, the hair curls, the extended earlobes and the absence of jewelry allows the figure to be identified with a high degree of certainty as a Buddha, probably Śākyamuni.
The style belongs to the North Indian tradition inherited from Gupta art. The treatment of the face preserves the softness and the idealization characteristic of this tradition, while the powerful volume of the head and the very pronounced development of the hair orient toward a production of the 6th century, in a late Gupta phase or immediately post-Gupta.
The sculpture shows interesting stylistic affinities with the famous terracotta Buddhist heads of northern India and in particular with certain heads associated with Akhnoor / Ambaran. This comparison remains stylistic, however: the internal construction of the present piece differs from that documented today for a substantial portion of the Ambaran group, and no direct attribution to this workshop is claimed.
The piece is hollow, with a wide opening visible beneath the head. Its manufacture appears to combine molding and manual modeling, with particularly elaborate work on the coiffure. The numerous curls show slight variations in diameter, depth and arrangement.
The surface preserves pinkish toreddish tones of terracotta beneath beige, gray and whitish deposits. The exposed reliefs are more abraded, while the depressions between the curls retain more material and deposits.
Condition: generally good for an ancient terracotta sculpture. Ancient abrasions, small losses and occasional gaps in the hair, wear of certain curls and surface deposits. No major restoration or major re-attachment visible in the examined documentation. Mounted on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former Belgian private collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then passed down to descendants in 2023.
Dimensions without base: 18 × 13 × 12 cm.
Weight: 1.645 kg.
Height with base: 26.5 cm.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been carried out. The proposed attribution and dating are based on stylistic, iconographic, technical, structural and comparative study of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0q1fl294iuobtlgbqw1io/APZROb1VHZnA-M0FwHe7-kw?rlkey=aywqe6kxtxqkxrlrulxbt33e0&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 TranslateTerracotta Head of the Buddha, North India, late Gupta / early post-Gupta ancient tradition, 6th century CE.
Significant terracotta Buddha head, characterized by a full, meditative face, long earlobes and a remarkable coiffure composed of a very large number of circular and spiral curls developing over the entire crown and the back.
The elongated and lowered eyes, the widely arched eyebrows and the full-lipped mouth give the face a serene and introspective expression. The raised protuberance corresponds to the uṣṇīṣa, one of the main iconographic signs of the Buddha. The combination of this uṣṇīṣa, the hair curls, the extended earlobes and the absence of jewelry allows the figure to be identified with a high degree of certainty as a Buddha, probably Śākyamuni.
The style belongs to the North Indian tradition inherited from Gupta art. The treatment of the face preserves the softness and the idealization characteristic of this tradition, while the powerful volume of the head and the very pronounced development of the hair orient toward a production of the 6th century, in a late Gupta phase or immediately post-Gupta.
The sculpture shows interesting stylistic affinities with the famous terracotta Buddhist heads of northern India and in particular with certain heads associated with Akhnoor / Ambaran. This comparison remains stylistic, however: the internal construction of the present piece differs from that documented today for a substantial portion of the Ambaran group, and no direct attribution to this workshop is claimed.
The piece is hollow, with a wide opening visible beneath the head. Its manufacture appears to combine molding and manual modeling, with particularly elaborate work on the coiffure. The numerous curls show slight variations in diameter, depth and arrangement.
The surface preserves pinkish toreddish tones of terracotta beneath beige, gray and whitish deposits. The exposed reliefs are more abraded, while the depressions between the curls retain more material and deposits.
Condition: generally good for an ancient terracotta sculpture. Ancient abrasions, small losses and occasional gaps in the hair, wear of certain curls and surface deposits. No major restoration or major re-attachment visible in the examined documentation. Mounted on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former Belgian private collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then passed down to descendants in 2023.
Dimensions without base: 18 × 13 × 12 cm.
Weight: 1.645 kg.
Height with base: 26.5 cm.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been carried out. The proposed attribution and dating are based on stylistic, iconographic, technical, structural and comparative study of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0q1fl294iuobtlgbqw1io/APZROb1VHZnA-M0FwHe7-kw?rlkey=aywqe6kxtxqkxrlrulxbt33e0&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
Northern India
Century/timeframe
VIe siècle après J.-C. Tradition Gupta tardive / post-Gupta ancienne
Name of object
Terracotta Buddha head.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Terracotta
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
18 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1979
Width
13 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
12 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
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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.
