Origin: Pakistan/Western India Circa: 3500 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 5.72" (14.5cm) high x 2.72" (6.9cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Metal Alloy  More »

Origin: Pakistan/Western India Circa: 3500 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 5.72" (14.5cm) high x 2.72" (6.9cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Metal Alloy Condition: Extra Fine   « Less

As the vertical axis supporting the cosmos, Vishnu is most often represented standing in an upright taut posture. Vishnu is adorned with a towering crown known in  More »

As the vertical axis supporting the cosmos, Vishnu is most often represented standing in an upright taut posture. Vishnu is adorned with a towering crown known in iconographical texts as the 'Kiritamukuta.' This is literally and metaphorically the highest of all crowns. The shape is that of a rather conical cylinder, similar to a miter, ending in a knot or point. When worn by a deity, this signifies that he has a rank among the highest of all gods. The facial expression is benevolent and the eyes gentle - befitting attributes for Vishnu, since he is believed to be the preserver of the cosmic order. The sharp nose grants a handsome demeanor to the face. The lips are lightly compressed, with the lower one being slightly thicker than the upper. Sumptuously bejeweled, Vishnu has four arms that carry the wheel, the conch shell, and the club. The extended right hand has a lotus, and displays the Abhaya mudra - the gesture which grants the boon of fearlessness. Thus does Vishnu describe himself in an ancient text: "The world rests as the lotus in the palm of my hand, the cosmos revolves around my finger like a discus. I blow the music of life through my conch and wield my mace to protect all creatures." Vishnu is straight as a post, for he is the firm center, and the axis of the universe; he is the sturdy pillar that joins the earth to the heavens. Indeed to his devotees, a formal, hieratic representation of Vishnu - their refuge. Blue-skinned Vishnu and Rama are Earth- preserving deities, whose role is to keep the moral and natural orders intact and in balance. Rama works to defeat base human emotions such as greed, anger and fear, while Vishnu and his Earth-regenerating serpent Ananta protect the planet itself. They symbolize right livelihood, the husbanding of resources, and masculine nurturance. The archetype of the Husbandman, the All-Pervasive Sustainer Depicted as a mighty king, Vishnu is a kind and adaptable god who works continuously for the world's welfare. Traditionally associated with the sun, he always descends to earth in avataric (bodily) forms when the danger of total destruction is imminent. The three best-known of Vishnu's 10 avatars are Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. Others include Narasinha the lion avatar, and Kalki the horseman avatar - (DA.689)   « Less

As the vertical axis supporting the cosmos, Vishnu is most often represented standing in an upright taut posture. Vishnu is adorned with a towering crown known in  More »

As the vertical axis supporting the cosmos, Vishnu is most often represented standing in an upright taut posture. Vishnu is adorned with a towering crown known in iconographical texts as the 'Kiritamukuta.' This is literally and metaphorically the highest of all crowns. The shape is that of a rather conical cylinder, similar to a miter, ending in a knot or point. When worn by a deity, this signifies that he has a rank among the highest of all gods. The facial expression is benevolent and the eyes gentle - befitting attributes for Vishnu, since he is believed to be the preserver of the cosmic order. The sharp nose grants a handsome demeanor to the face. The lips are lightly compressed, with the lower one being slightly thicker than the upper. Sumptuously bejeweled, Vishnu has four arms that carry the wheel, the conch shell, and the club. The extended right hand has a lotus, and displays the Abhaya mudra - the gesture which grants the boon of fearlessness. Thus does Vishnu describe himself in an ancient text: "The world rests as the lotus in the palm of my hand, the cosmos revolves around my finger like a discus. I blow the music of life through my conch and wield my mace to protect all creatures." Vishnu is straight as a post, for he is the firm center, and the axis of the universe; he is the sturdy pillar that joins the earth to the heavens. Indeed to his devotees, a formal, hieratic representation of Vishnu - their refuge. Blue- skinned Vishnu and Rama are Earth-preserving deities, whose role is to keep the moral and natural orders intact and in balance. Rama works to defeat base human emotions such as greed, anger and fear, while Vishnu and his Earth- regenerating serpent Ananta protect the planet itself. They symbolize right livelihood, the husbanding of resources, and masculine nurturance. The archetype of the Husbandman, the All-Pervasive Sustainer Depicted as a mighty king, Vishnu is a kind and adaptable god who works continuously for the world's welfare. Traditionally associated with the sun, he always descends to earth in avataric (bodily) forms when the danger of total destruction is imminent. The three best-known of Vishnu's 10 avatars are Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. Others include Narasinha the lion avatar, and Kalki the horseman avatar - (DA.699)   « Less

Origin: Indonesia Circa: 900 AD to 1300 AD Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Style: Balinese Medium: Gold Condition: Fine

Origin: Indonesia Circa: 900 AD to 1300 AD Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Style: Balinese Medium: Gold Condition: Fine   « Less

This outstanding gold Buddha was made in Bali, and is thus a rare item, owing to the comparatively small number of practicing Buddhists in the island state. However, Buddhism  More »

This outstanding gold Buddha was made in Bali, and is thus a rare item, owing to the comparatively small number of practicing Buddhists in the island state. However, Buddhism does have a long history in the Indonesian archipelago, and – along with Hinduism – replaced a rudimentary animism based around spirit worship. Having coexisted for some time, Buddhism was largely displaced by Islam in the 15th to 16th centuries, and found something of a refuge in Bali and Eastern Java. It gained increasing support during the twentieth century; interestingly, elements of Buddhism have also become integrated into the local variant of Hinduism, which is itself influenced by indigenous faiths. This syncretic mix has also influenced Balinese Buddhism, which, while ostensibly Theravadin, has incorporated other elements and beliefs. A great deal of import is thus paid to natural things – notably rocks and trees – as well as to the power of other elements such as daggers and woven cloth.Sculptures of Buddhas are not viewed as objects of veneration. Rather, they are to encourage a mood of reflection and meditation within the worshipper, and to focus the mind on a higher plane. For this reason, the stylistic tenets of representation are highly variable, and are influenced by regional tradition as much as the inspiration and talent of the sculptor. Some features, however, are common to most statues. The hands of these statues may display different gestures (mudra) that are symbolic of the Buddha’s different characteristics. The current example is the teaching mudra – or dharmacakra mudra – with both hands held in front of the chest. The thumb and index fingers touch to form circles representing the turning of the Wheel of the Law. This gesture has an incredibly long history and relates to the first sermon of delivered by Buddha after his Enlightenment in the deer park at Sarnath.The face is calm and reflective, with downcast eyes, a broad nose and slightly pursed lips. The ears are elongated and pierced. The headwear is typically highly ornate and decorated with small eminences and a superior apex indicative of learning and wisdom. The body is essentially unadorned, reflecting the generally ascetic appearance and lifestyle of Buddha compared to the more gaudy Bodhisattvas, with a plain loincloth around the hips. The pedestal is decorated with floral motifs and the figure is framed by a leaf-shaped “halo” attached to the back of the head.The image is cast in bronze with admixture of pure gold. It was made by the cire perdue – or 'lost wax process' – where a wax image is created, then coated with a plaster or clay which is subsequently baked allowing the wax to melt and drain away, replacing it with molten metal. The finished image is then gilded and adorned with pure gold leaf. While displaying tendencies towards the Thai Rattanakosin Buddha figures, he stands apart from them as befits his rarity and origin. This is a beautiful and important piece of Buddhist art. - (DA.702 (LSO))   « Less

Avalokitesvara is the dynamic aspect of Amitabha, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas. He is the manifestation of supreme wisdom and the expression of the heart, which is ready to  More »

Avalokitesvara is the dynamic aspect of Amitabha, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas. He is the manifestation of supreme wisdom and the expression of the heart, which is ready to fearlessly descend in the suffering of the world, to transform the poisons into life elixir. It is said that out of Avaloketisvara's body thousand arms sprouted, in order to help wherever possible. - (DA.703)   « Less

This remarkable piece is a golden crown from the Indonesian archipelago. It is one of the most flamboyant such items that we have seen, the basic form is a double dome, the  More »

This remarkable piece is a golden crown from the Indonesian archipelago. It is one of the most flamboyant such items that we have seen, the basic form is a double dome, the lower about one and a half times the size of the upper. It is utterly covered with repousse relief work, with hosts of religious and decorative elements. The lower dome has a fantastical dragon-like face on the front, flanked by two medallions bearing images of religious figures (of the Hindu faith) surrounded by foliate scrollwork and organic motifs. The upper dome is decorated with repeated foliate scrolls and abstract decorations. The two domes are separated by a constriction marked with a high-relief band decorated with multi-coloured semi/precious stones in purple, green, red and blue. These are repeated around the base of the inferior dome and around the apex of the superior. The effect is breathtakingly opulent. Indonesia has a long and complex royal and administrative history. This piece dates to the Majapahit kingdom, an Indianised kingdom based in Eastern Java, and ruling between the 12th and 16th centuries. It extended throughout Sumatra, Borneo and Eastern Indonesia as well as the Malay Peninsula, and is generally regarded as a Golden Age for Hindu empires in the Malay Archipelago. Contemporary records – notably the Nagarakertagama (written in 1365) – reveal that the courts were highly sophisticated and refined. They encouraged artistic oeuvres, including writing and painting, and also attracted the finest minds in Eastern Asia to their extravagantly appointed palaces. It had considerable influence over neighbouring areas, although its power was more cultural than martial after the early stages, and the Majapahit monarchs were more concerned with monopolising trade through the archipelago. Geographical and economic constraints suggest that rather than a regular centralised authority, the outer states were most likely to have been connected mainly by trade connections, which was probably a royal monopoly. The kingdom was shaken by civil wars from 1405 to 1406, then again in the 1450s in another succession crisis. Family intrigue and competition from other Javanese power bases brought about the end of the empire in the early 16th century. The Majapahit empire is noted for its extravagant art, architecture and other material profligacy. The capital – Trowulan – was renowned for its huge festivals and the elegant nature of its construction: "Of all the buildings, none lack pillars, bearing fine carvings and coloured" [Within the wall compounds] "there were elegant pavilions roofed with aren fibre, like the scene in a painting... The petals of the katangga were sprinkled over the roofs for they had fallen in the wind. The roofs were like maidens with flowers arranged in their hair, delighting those who saw them". Description of the Majapahit capital from the Old Javanese epic poem Nagarakertagama. The king was a semi-divine personage in the eyes of his subjects; this piece of courtly regalia is an extremely important and rare object, and deserves pride of place in any discerning collection. - (DV.030)   « Less

This splendid 4500 year old pottery jar is from the Indus Valley of Afghanistan/Pakistan. This jar features a painted surface in shades of red and black depicting ancient  More »

This splendid 4500 year old pottery jar is from the Indus Valley of Afghanistan/Pakistan. This jar features a painted surface in shades of red and black depicting ancient Indus motifs of bulls and floral patterns. - (DAC.016)   « Less

This astounding gold sculpture is a representation of Brahma. He is the physical form of the Hindu god of creation, whose consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning and  More »

This astounding gold sculpture is a representation of Brahma. He is the physical form of the Hindu god of creation, whose consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning and education. He was born without the intervention of a mother, and is one of the trinity of gods (the others being Shiva and Vishnu) that make up the “Trimurti”. The mind of Brahma is said to have given rise to seven sages, who assisted him in his creation of the universe. Having done this, he also created eleven individuals who in turn were the fathers of the entire human race. His duties as creator god are limited, although he sometimes intervened in the activities of lesser deities. He symbolises Maya (or Praktri) – the essence of female energy. His lifespan is 311 trillion human years, at which point there will be a 311 trillion year gap, then the cycle will be repeated. While extremely powerful, he is not as widely worshipped as the other members of the Trimurti. Figures of Brahma are therefore less common than those of Vishnu and Shiva. Gold figures are particularly uncommon, and only exceptionally wealthy devotees could afford such a princely item. It is likely that this piece once belonged to an aristocratic family for the purposes of private worship, or was perhaps donated to some major religious centre. It is significant to note that the figure is Balinese, for Balinese Hinduism differs significantly from that of other countries in SE Asia. This is attributable to the persistence of local beliefs and myths that have become integrated into the standard Hindu faith. It is therefore probable that stylistic inconsistencies in the morphology of this figure are attributable to this regionalised specialisation. The piece is beautifully cast in gold, displaying the imagery of Brahma with four faces, linked to the four Vedas. Unusually, he has 8 arms, unlike the standard 4 which characterise most representations of the deity. In his hands he holds a sceptre, a fly-whisk, an unguent vessel, a scroll, a string of beads and another unidentified object; at least two of the hands are crossed under the navel. The detailing of the ornate crown, clothes and jewellery are astounding in their complexity and the quality of their execution. The folds of cloth and anatomical characteristics are more naturalistic than is often the case for such sculptures, conveying a serene and well-attuned sense of sculptural stability. The piece is mounted on an integral base, and constitutes a rare opportunity to obtain a true masterwork of the Hindu religious tradition. - (AM.141 (LSO))This astounding gold sculpture is a representation of Brahma. He is the physical form of the Hindu god of creation, whose consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning and education. He was born without the intervention of a mother, and is one of the trinity of gods (the others being Shiva and Vishnu) that make up the “Trimurti”. The mind of Brahma is said to have given rise to seven sages, who assisted him in his creation of the universe. Having done this, he also created eleven individuals who in turn were the fathers of the entire human race. His duties as creator god are limited, although he sometimes intervened in the activities of lesser deities. He symbolises Maya (or Praktri) – the essence of female energy. His lifespan is 311 trillion human years, at which point there will be a 311 trillion year gap, then the cycle will be repeated. While extremely powerful, he is not as widely worshipped as the other members of the Trimurti. Figures of Brahma are therefore less common than those of Vishnu and Shiva. Gold figures are particularly uncommon, and only exceptionally wealthy devotees could afford such a princely item. It is likely that this piece once belonged to an aristocratic family for the purposes of private worship, or was perhaps donated to some major religious centre. It is significant to note that the figure is Balinese, for Balinese Hinduism differs significantly from that of other countries in SE Asia. This is attributable to the persistence of local beliefs and myths that have become integrated into the standard Hindu faith. It is therefore probable that stylistic inconsistencies in the morphology of this figure are attributable to this regionalised specialisation. The piece is beautifully cast in gold, displaying the imagery of Brahma with four faces, linked to the four Vedas. Unusually, he has 8 arms, unlike the standard 4 which characterise most representations of the deity. In his hands he holds a sceptre, a fly-whisk, an unguent vessel, a scroll, a string of beads and another unidentified object; at least two of the hands are crossed under the navel. The detailing of the ornate crown, clothes and jewellery are astounding in their complexity and the quality of their execution. The folds of cloth and anatomical characteristics are more naturalistic than is often the case for such sculptures, conveying a serene and well-attuned sense of sculptural stability. The piece is mounted on an integral base, and constitutes a rare opportunity to obtain a true masterwork of the Hindu religious tradition. - (AM.141 (LSO))   « Less

The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indus River Valleys primarily in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan, extending  More »

The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indus River Valleys primarily in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan, extending westward into the Baluchistan province, and into north western and western India.The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the world’s first great urban civilizations. It developed out of earlier farming and pastoral communities that inhabited the plains and western mountainous regions of Baluchistan and Afghanistan. These communities were referred to as pre- or Early Indus cultures as each had its own distinctive style. These regional styles are most clearly observed in various painted designs, especially on pottery. Gradual dispersal of specific types of ornaments indicates that there was a gradual integration of these communities through marriage alliances, ritual interaction and eventually political treaties.This Indus Valley painted pottery storage jar is important due to its unusually large size, and quality of decoration. It consists of linear and figural designs with brown and black pigments. Jars of this kind were believed to have been used for storing cereal. Most of them were found in large stone building used as warehouses. Five scrolls of miniature depictions of an ibex or gazelle run at the top of the vessel giving the object an animated feeling. It is in excellent condition. This style of decoration proved to be popular in Baluchistan. The gazelle or goat motifs and trees are interesting representations of local fauna, as well as remarkable examples of brush painting used by potters during this period.This jar is a magnificent example of objects produced in the Indus Valley at the time. - (AM.0138)   « Less