North India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges Valley Terracotta Head of a divine or princely figure in terracotta - 17 cm
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 1,600 - € 1,900
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North Indian terracotta head of a masculine divine or princely figure, from the Gupta period (5th–6th century CE), about 17 cm high and 10.5 cm wide, in good condition with ancient wear on the reverse and mounted on a modern metal base.
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Description from the seller
Divine masculine or princely head in terracotta, North India, probably Uttar Pradesh, Gupta period, 5th–6th century CE.
This expressive terracotta head belongs to the Northern Indian sculptural tradition during the Gupta period. The face features wide open eyes outlined by clearly drawn eyelids, arched eyebrows, a prominent nose, and a full, slightly smiling mouth.
The figure wears an elaborate hairstyle or ceremonial turban arranged around a frontal band and a broad, voluminous upper mass. Large discoid earrings frame the face. A small circular relief marker appears at the center of the forehead, probably of religious or auspicious character.
The piece is hollow, using a technique suited to making and firing terracotta of this size. A wide opening below the neck allows observation of the sculpture’s internal structure. The more elaborate modeling of the face contrasts with the freer, more schematic treatment of the reverse, characteristic of a work primarily intended to be viewed frontally or in three-quarter view.
The style and technique show particularly interesting affinities with the major terracotta productions of Uttar Pradesh and, notably, the artistic area of Ahichchhatra, one of the main centers of terracotta production in northern India during the Gupta era. This comparison constitutes a stylistic attribution; no precise archaeological provenance to Ahichchhatra is claimed.
The exact identity of the figure cannot be established with certainty. It could be a male deity or a high-ranking princely figure. A precise identification with Vishnu, Karttikeya, or a Buddhist figure cannot be demonstrated by the attributes preserved.
The surface retains pink to reddish-orange tones under beige light and whitish deposits. The reliefs show uniform wear, while the hollows retain more deposits.
Condition: old restoration missing on the reverse, whose edges are worn and integrated into the piece’s overall surface, as well as various scratches and small, old losses. No restoration or reassembly of terracotta is visible in the examined documentation. The piece is presented on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then passed down in 2023.
Dimensions excluding the base: 17 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm.
Weight: 593 g.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been performed. The proposed attribution and dating are based on stylistic, technical, material, and comparative study of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ippwh4s6evu0bkk6vtyy0/AM8rQekunKF_99gN5mDkLzE?rlkey=06vnx1sxotuyrj03ae0i0d1na&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 TranslateDivine masculine or princely head in terracotta, North India, probably Uttar Pradesh, Gupta period, 5th–6th century CE.
This expressive terracotta head belongs to the Northern Indian sculptural tradition during the Gupta period. The face features wide open eyes outlined by clearly drawn eyelids, arched eyebrows, a prominent nose, and a full, slightly smiling mouth.
The figure wears an elaborate hairstyle or ceremonial turban arranged around a frontal band and a broad, voluminous upper mass. Large discoid earrings frame the face. A small circular relief marker appears at the center of the forehead, probably of religious or auspicious character.
The piece is hollow, using a technique suited to making and firing terracotta of this size. A wide opening below the neck allows observation of the sculpture’s internal structure. The more elaborate modeling of the face contrasts with the freer, more schematic treatment of the reverse, characteristic of a work primarily intended to be viewed frontally or in three-quarter view.
The style and technique show particularly interesting affinities with the major terracotta productions of Uttar Pradesh and, notably, the artistic area of Ahichchhatra, one of the main centers of terracotta production in northern India during the Gupta era. This comparison constitutes a stylistic attribution; no precise archaeological provenance to Ahichchhatra is claimed.
The exact identity of the figure cannot be established with certainty. It could be a male deity or a high-ranking princely figure. A precise identification with Vishnu, Karttikeya, or a Buddhist figure cannot be demonstrated by the attributes preserved.
The surface retains pink to reddish-orange tones under beige light and whitish deposits. The reliefs show uniform wear, while the hollows retain more deposits.
Condition: old restoration missing on the reverse, whose edges are worn and integrated into the piece’s overall surface, as well as various scratches and small, old losses. No restoration or reassembly of terracotta is visible in the examined documentation. The piece is presented on a modern metal base.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then passed down in 2023.
Dimensions excluding the base: 17 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm.
Weight: 593 g.
No thermoluminescence analysis has been performed. The proposed attribution and dating are based on stylistic, technical, material, and comparative study of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ippwh4s6evu0bkk6vtyy0/AM8rQekunKF_99gN5mDkLzE?rlkey=06vnx1sxotuyrj03ae0i0d1na&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
Head of a divine or princely 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
17 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
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.
