Ancient India – tradition of the Ganges Valley; Northern or Eastern India Terracotta Plaque with a female figure, probably a Yakshi. - 20.5 cm
06
days
06
hours
13
minutes
52
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Current bid
€ 910
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 2,000 - € 2,500
 | €910 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €860 | |
| €810 | |
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A terracotta plaque depicting a standing frontal female figure, likely a Yakṣī, from the late Shunga period in the Ganges valley (fin IIe – Ier siècle av. J.-C.), measuring 20.5 × 10 × 2.6 cm and in good condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Molded terracotta plaque depicting a female figure, probably a Yakṣī, Ancient India, Ganges valley tradition, late Shunga period, late 2nd – 1st century BCE.
Vertical terracotta plaque showing a standing, frontal woman, whose silhouette occupies most of the field. The chest is clearly modeled, the waist tightened and the hips emphasized by a broad ornament or belt, today partly worn down by use.
The figure features a voluminous hairstyle composed of several masses arranged around the head. Despite significant abrasion of the relief, the face, chest, arms, abdominal ornament, and long legs remain legible.
The morphology of the character, the frontal stance, the richness of the coiffure and the ornamentation allow, with caution, to relate her to the vast iconographic universe of Yakṣīs and auspicious feminine figures in ancient India, traditionally associated with fertility, prosperity, and abundance.
A more precise identification as Panchachuda is not retained, since no set of five ornaments or weapons distinctly recognizable is preserved on this plaque.
Technically, the piece is produced by uniface molding. The principal face bears the figurative relief, while the reverse is undecorated, planed, and manually retouched. Profile views confirm that it is a solid and relatively thin plaque, and not a hollow sculpture or assembled piece.
The style and technique fit within the important traditions of terracotta work produced in the Ganges valley at the end of the Maurya period and during the Shunga period. Comparisons exist notably with productions from Mathura, Kaushambi, Chandraketugarh, and Tamluk, but no specific site is claimed as proven archaeological origin.
The terracotta presents a pink to reddish-orange tone under beige to whitish deposits and weathering. The most prominent parts are more abraded, while the hollows retain more material and deposits.
Condition: good structural state. Strong ancient abrasion of the relief, particularly at the face, coiffure, ornaments, and garment. Small losses and peripheral wear. No significant restoration, no major reattachment, nor any evident modern reconstruction visible in the examined documentation. Presented on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former Belgian private collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted by descent in 2023.
Dimensions excluding the base: 20.5 × 10 × 2.6 cm.
Weight: 513.5 g.
Height with base: 27.2 cm.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been carried out. The proposed attribution and dating rest on the stylistic, technical, material, and comparative study of the plaque.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w1tpigxwsimubqxbgns42/AIoYC-FzEqe1yqTAv5jkuXA?rlkey=tiendpur2szxw3h8r8vgxtlwn&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 TranslateMolded terracotta plaque depicting a female figure, probably a Yakṣī, Ancient India, Ganges valley tradition, late Shunga period, late 2nd – 1st century BCE.
Vertical terracotta plaque showing a standing, frontal woman, whose silhouette occupies most of the field. The chest is clearly modeled, the waist tightened and the hips emphasized by a broad ornament or belt, today partly worn down by use.
The figure features a voluminous hairstyle composed of several masses arranged around the head. Despite significant abrasion of the relief, the face, chest, arms, abdominal ornament, and long legs remain legible.
The morphology of the character, the frontal stance, the richness of the coiffure and the ornamentation allow, with caution, to relate her to the vast iconographic universe of Yakṣīs and auspicious feminine figures in ancient India, traditionally associated with fertility, prosperity, and abundance.
A more precise identification as Panchachuda is not retained, since no set of five ornaments or weapons distinctly recognizable is preserved on this plaque.
Technically, the piece is produced by uniface molding. The principal face bears the figurative relief, while the reverse is undecorated, planed, and manually retouched. Profile views confirm that it is a solid and relatively thin plaque, and not a hollow sculpture or assembled piece.
The style and technique fit within the important traditions of terracotta work produced in the Ganges valley at the end of the Maurya period and during the Shunga period. Comparisons exist notably with productions from Mathura, Kaushambi, Chandraketugarh, and Tamluk, but no specific site is claimed as proven archaeological origin.
The terracotta presents a pink to reddish-orange tone under beige to whitish deposits and weathering. The most prominent parts are more abraded, while the hollows retain more material and deposits.
Condition: good structural state. Strong ancient abrasion of the relief, particularly at the face, coiffure, ornaments, and garment. Small losses and peripheral wear. No significant restoration, no major reattachment, nor any evident modern reconstruction visible in the examined documentation. Presented on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former Belgian private collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted by descent in 2023.
Dimensions excluding the base: 20.5 × 10 × 2.6 cm.
Weight: 513.5 g.
Height with base: 27.2 cm.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been carried out. The proposed attribution and dating rest on the stylistic, technical, material, and comparative study of the plaque.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w1tpigxwsimubqxbgns42/AIoYC-FzEqe1yqTAv5jkuXA?rlkey=tiendpur2szxw3h8r8vgxtlwn&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
Ancient India – tradition of the Ganges Valley; Northern or Eastern India
Century/timeframe
Fin du IIe – Ier siècle av. J.-C. Horizon Shunga tardif / Early Historic
Name of object
Plaque with a female figure, probably a Yakshi.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Terracotta
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
20.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1979
Width
10 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
2.6 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.
