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A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A NOBLE LADY
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 NOBLE LADY

Published: Editor Paolo Bertuzzi; Author Agus Aris Munandar: Majapahit: Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom, 2023, p. 58, fig. 025.

Indonesia, East Java, Trowulan area, Majapahit Empire (1297-1527). Modeled with elegant refinement, the figure represents a graceful young woman standing in slight contrapposto atop a domed circular pedestal incised with geometric decoration. Her right hand is raised gently to her chest, while the left holds the end of a shawl that wraps diagonally across her waist and descends in vertical folds. The slender body is enveloped in a smooth, tightly fitted garment that accentuates her poise and youthful grace.

Her head is adorned with a small stupa-shaped headdress, possibly a stylized crown, and a wavy headband runs across her forehead. Her hair is gathered into a high ponytail, the thick strands falling gracefully over her left shoulder. Delicate floral earrings, a pendant necklace, and bracelets on both wrists further embellish her appearance. The facial features are finely modeled, with arched brows, almond-shaped eyes, and a faint, serene smile that evokes calm introspection and courtly elegance.

Figures of this type may represent a putri (princess), a divine attendant (apsara), or an idealized feminine archetype within Majapahit visual culture. The combination of refined posture, elaborate hairstyle, and courtly ornaments suggests both elevated status and spiritual resonance. Whether intended as a devotional object or part of a larger architectural composition, the sculpture embodies the grace, sensuality, and composure characteristic of female representations in the Majapahit period.

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. 75 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 an elegant woman in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession no. M.85.279.2.

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. 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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拍品估价:2,400 - 5,000 欧元 起拍价格:2,400 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

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