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A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A YOUNG WOMAN
奥地利
09月12日 下午5点 开拍 / 09月10日 下午3点 截止委托
拍品描述

Description

A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A YOUNG WOMAN

Published: Editor Paolo Bertuzzi; Author Agus Aris Munandar: Majapahit: Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom, 2023, p. 60-61, fig. 027.

Indonesia, East Java, Trowulan area, Majapahit Empire (1297-1527). Portraying a young woman modeled with elegance and subtle dynamism, this terracotta figure captures a moment of poised movement. The slender body faces forward, while the head turns gently to the right and the knees bend in the opposite direction, creating a graceful twist through the torso. She stands barefoot on a rocky base, an atypical pedestal form that suggests a natural, open-air setting rather than a formal architectural context.

Her expression is serene, marked by a faint smile and a sharply defined nose. The elaborate hairstyle sweeps upward into a wide, fan-shaped crest above the left side of the head, adding visual balance and flair. She is adorned with large circular earrings, a necklace with a floral pendant, as well as bracelets and anklets. A long paridhana (sarong) falls to her feet, while her chest is partially draped with a fine cloth, the edge of which she holds delicately in her left hand, allowing it to cascade in a gentle curve across the body.

Figures of this type may have served as architectural adornments or freestanding devotional images, representing courtly ideals of feminine beauty and refinement. The dynamic pose, detailed ornamentation, and naturalistic base combine to convey both liveliness and grace, hallmarks of Majapahit artistry at its most sophisticated.

Provenance: Acquired in the Trowulan area at the end of the 20th century by Paolo Bertuzzi, thence by descent. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943–2022), was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art. He also edited two important books on Asian art: Goa Made – An Archaeological Discovery and Majapahit – Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom, both documenting major excavation projects carried out in collaboration with the respective national governments of Indonesia and Italy.
Condition: Presenting well and in stable, restored condition. Exhibiting areas of loss and cracking, with associated surface wear, soil encrustations, and weathering, all consistent with age and material.

Dimensions: Height approx. 78 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare with a related figure of a woman, Majapahit Empire, in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, object number AK-MAK-1456. Compare another related Javanese figure of a woman in the Trowulan Museum, Indonesia, see a photograph in the New York Public Library, image ID 1124879. Another related terracotta figure of a woman is published in ‘Majapahit Terracotta: The Soedarmadji Jean Henry Damais Collection’, 2012, p. 42-43, catalogue No. AD0026, note the closely related face and hairstyle.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 10 December 2012, lot 5378
Price: USD 4,500 or approx. EUR 5,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A tuff standing female, Java, Majapahit period, 14th-16th century
Expert remark: Compare the related pose and coiffure. Note the much smaller size (27.9 cm).

The Majapahit Empire, which flourished in East Java, Indonesia, from the late 13th to the early 16th century, was one of Southeast Asia’s most influential Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, renowned for its cultural sophistication and far-reaching political power. Under the reign of King Hayam Wuruk (1350–1389), Majapahit’s capital, Trowulan, emerged as a vibrant center of religious devotion and artistic production. Among the most distinctive legacies of the Majapahit period is its prolific use of terracotta, employed for both utilitarian and symbolic purposes.

Terracotta artifacts from the Majapahit Empire include figurines, architectural elements such as roof tiles, bricks, and columns, as well as everyday objects like water jars, stoves, vases, and piggy banks. These works provide invaluable insight into the daily life, attire, belief systems, and social structures of the time. Majapahit terracotta figures depict a wide range of subjects, from deities, dancers, and mythical beasts to animals and common people, reflecting both the religious and secular dimensions of the empire’s artistic output.

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价格信息

拍品估价:4,000 - 8,000 欧元 起拍价格:4,000 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

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