Description:

A LARGE BRONZE STANDING FIGURE OF GAURI (ARDHANARISHVARA), 18TH CENTURY, SOUTH INDIA
South India, Tamil Nadu, 18th century

Description:
Bronze, cast using the lost-wax method; a large and sensitively modeled figure of Gauri, also identified as Ardhanarishvara, the female form of the divine half-man, half-woman composite of Shiva and Parvati. The deity stands in a graceful tribhanga (three-bend) posture on a double lotus pedestal, the right leg bearing weight and the left leg slightly bent. She is adorned with elaborate jewelry including necklaces, armlets, and a girdle, and wears a tall conical headdress (karandamukuta) with incised ornamentation. Her upper right hand holds a club or lotus stem (interpreted in some traditions as a torch), while the other hands are in varada and abhaya mudras.

The sculpture demonstrates exceptional detailing, particularly in the finely worked textiles, the soft modeling of the torso, and the calm facial features with slight smile and almond-shaped eyes—hallmarks of South Indian Chola-revival bronzes produced under Nayaka or Maratha patronage.

This figure exhibits both divine grace and robust physical presence, combining spiritual poise with tangible vitality, characteristics typical of Tamil bronzes intended for processional use in temples.

Comparable examples:

  • A similar South Indian bronze of Parvati, dated 17th–18th century, sold at Sotheby’s, New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 21 March 2018, Lot 100, for $87,500.

  • A bronze Ardhanarishvara, Tamil Nadu, circa 18th century, sold at Christie’s, New York, 20 March 2019, Lot 302, for $68,750.

  • Another large bronze Gauri figure, circa 18th century, achieved £52,500 at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, London, 23 October 2017, Lot 201.

Note:
Such sculptures were central to South Indian Shaiva temple rituals, often carried in festival processions and anointed during ceremonies. The representation of Parvati in her standalone form, or united with Shiva as Ardhanarishvara, reflects deep theological nuances about divine unity and gender duality in Hindu thought. The stylistic elements here strongly echo late Chola and Nayaka bronze traditions, emphasizing continuity in regional bronze casting into the 18th century.

 


Height: 65cm

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Property of a Hong Kong Collection

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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