North India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges Valley Terracotta Expressive head of a masculine figure in terracotta. - 19 cm
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 1,700 - € 2,000
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An ancient North Indian terracotta head of a masculine expressive figure from the Gupta period (5th–6th century CE), measuring 19 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm and in good condition, mounted on a modern metal base.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Expressive male head in terracotta, Northern India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges valley, Gupta period, 5th-6th century CE.
Important fragmentary terracotta head representing a male figure with a particularly lively expression, characterized by a broad smile, full cheeks, large eyes drawn under strongly arched brow ridges, and a spectacular elaborate coiffure.
The figure wears large ear ornaments and a tall headdress composed of several stacked volumes. Its upper part combines a projecting central element with a semi-circular structure adorned with radiating incisions, giving the sculpture a particularly distinctive silhouette.
The precise identity of the figure remains open. The jovial physiognomy may evoke a Gana or a Yakṣa, semi-divine figures well known in ancient Indian art. An interpretation as a court figure or Vidūṣaka, the traditional jester characterized by strong expressiveness and unusual coiffures, is also an interesting plausible option. In the absence of the body and additional attributes, none of these identifications is presented as certain.
The style and technique point to the major terracotta traditions developed in the middle Ganges valley during the Gupta period, notably in centers such as Ahichchhatra, Rajghat and more broadly in Uttar Pradesh. These are stylistic and technical associations; no precise archaeological provenance to one of these sites is claimed.
The piece was hollow, as shown by the wide cavity visible under the head. This construction allowed the sculpture to be lightened and facilitated its drying and firing. Its creation appears to involve a combination of molding, modeling and manual retouching, particularly visible in the treatment of the coiffure and incised details.
The reverse is far more roughly finished than the front, indicating that the head was probably intended to be viewed mainly frontally or in three-quarter view. It could have belonged to a large figure or to a decorative composition, without any demonstrable architectural function.
The terracotta retains red-pink to red-orange tones beneath beige and whitish deposits. Wear is more pronounced on the exposed reliefs, while the hollows and incisions retain more deposits.
Condition: generally good for an ancient fragmented terracotta. Wear, abrasions, chips and old losses, notably on some peripheral parts and the coiffure. The face remains highly legible. No major restoration, no major rejoining, nor any obvious reconstruction visible in the examined documentation. Mounted on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted through descendants in 2023.
Dimensions without base: 19 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm. Reported weight: 1.155 kg. Height with base: 26.3 cm.
No Thermoluminescence analysis has been conducted. The attribution and dating proposed rely on stylistic, technical, structural, material and comparative study of the piece.
video Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bspsh7p8woe2igzwr9kf6/AJ9W5kl_jzkqAKYKZcOHQjo?rlkey=yqib1hg92ukqs3ec7dd2gp3x6&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 TranslateExpressive male head in terracotta, Northern India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges valley, Gupta period, 5th-6th century CE.
Important fragmentary terracotta head representing a male figure with a particularly lively expression, characterized by a broad smile, full cheeks, large eyes drawn under strongly arched brow ridges, and a spectacular elaborate coiffure.
The figure wears large ear ornaments and a tall headdress composed of several stacked volumes. Its upper part combines a projecting central element with a semi-circular structure adorned with radiating incisions, giving the sculpture a particularly distinctive silhouette.
The precise identity of the figure remains open. The jovial physiognomy may evoke a Gana or a Yakṣa, semi-divine figures well known in ancient Indian art. An interpretation as a court figure or Vidūṣaka, the traditional jester characterized by strong expressiveness and unusual coiffures, is also an interesting plausible option. In the absence of the body and additional attributes, none of these identifications is presented as certain.
The style and technique point to the major terracotta traditions developed in the middle Ganges valley during the Gupta period, notably in centers such as Ahichchhatra, Rajghat and more broadly in Uttar Pradesh. These are stylistic and technical associations; no precise archaeological provenance to one of these sites is claimed.
The piece was hollow, as shown by the wide cavity visible under the head. This construction allowed the sculpture to be lightened and facilitated its drying and firing. Its creation appears to involve a combination of molding, modeling and manual retouching, particularly visible in the treatment of the coiffure and incised details.
The reverse is far more roughly finished than the front, indicating that the head was probably intended to be viewed mainly frontally or in three-quarter view. It could have belonged to a large figure or to a decorative composition, without any demonstrable architectural function.
The terracotta retains red-pink to red-orange tones beneath beige and whitish deposits. Wear is more pronounced on the exposed reliefs, while the hollows and incisions retain more deposits.
Condition: generally good for an ancient fragmented terracotta. Wear, abrasions, chips and old losses, notably on some peripheral parts and the coiffure. The face remains highly legible. No major restoration, no major rejoining, nor any obvious reconstruction visible in the examined documentation. Mounted on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted through descendants in 2023.
Dimensions without base: 19 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm. Reported weight: 1.155 kg. Height with base: 26.3 cm.
No Thermoluminescence analysis has been conducted. The attribution and dating proposed rely on stylistic, technical, structural, material and comparative study of the piece.
video Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bspsh7p8woe2igzwr9kf6/AJ9W5kl_jzkqAKYKZcOHQjo?rlkey=yqib1hg92ukqs3ec7dd2gp3x6&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
North India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges Valley
Century/timeframe
Ve-VIe siècle après J.-C. Période / tradition Gupta
Name of object
Expressive head of a masculine figure in terracotta.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Terracotta
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
19 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1979
Width
10.5 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
8.5 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.
