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A RARE SMALL SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A TURTLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 12TH-14TH CENTURY
奥地利
09月10日 下午5点 开拍 / 09月08日 下午3点 截止委托
拍品描述

Description

A RARE SMALL SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A TURTLE, ANGKOR PERIOD, 12TH-14TH CENTURY
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

Khmer Empire. Well carved standing foursquare atop a flat circular base with the head reared upward. The stone of a warm tone and with a fine, naturally grown patina.

Provenance: Galerie Hardt (established in 1976), Radevormwald, Germany, before 2020. Acquired by the gallery’s founder Peter Hardt (b. 1946) during his extensive travels in Asia, the first of which occurred during a formative world tour in 1973. Throughout his storied career,Peter Kienzle-Hardtorganized countless exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs. He made many important contacts during this time and eventually met the Kienzle siblings, who shared his passion for Asian art and culture. A strong bond and deep friendship developed, ultimately leading to the creation of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst decades later in 2014. While the museum’s permanent exhibition predominantly comprised pieces from the Kienzle Family Collection, Peter Kienzle-Hardt supplemented it with objects from his own collection. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, minor losses, nicks.

Weight: 185 g
Dimensions: Diameter 7.5cm

The turtle is interpreted as an avatar of Vishnu, associated with the Hindu myth of the Churning of the Sea of Milk, where the god took the form of a giant turtle to support Mount Mandara. In the Khmer Empire, turtles took on both sacred and practical roles. They were used as votive offerings in temple foundations, symbolizing stability and cosmic balance, and several sandstone turtle sculptures ranging in size have been excavated near major temples, including the Bayon and Angkor Wat. These carvings, often buried beneath ritual structures, suggest the turtle's role as a spiritual guardian. Beyond their religious symbolism, turtles featured in daily life: archaeological finds show they were consumed as food, while folk traditions and royal customs elevated certain species, such as the now-endangered "Royal Turtle" (Batagur baska), whose eggs were once offered exclusively to the Khmer monarchy. This multifaceted presence in both ritual and routine reveals the turtle as a powerful emblem bridging the sacred and the earthly in Khmer civilization.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related larger sandstone turtle dated to the 14th century, 41.5 cm long, in the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.3251.

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价格信息

拍品估价:250 - 500 欧元 起拍价格:150 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

拍卖公司

Galerie Zacke
地址: Sterngasse 13, 1010 Vienna, Austria
电话: 0043-1-5320452
邮编: 1070
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