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A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A MOTHER
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
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Description

A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A MOTHER

Published: Editor Paolo Bertuzzi; Author Agus Aris Munandar: Majapahit: Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom, 2023, p. 71, fig. 035.

Indonesia, East Java, Trowulan area, Majapahit Empire (1297-1527). Standing on a tiered circular pedestal adorned with lotus petals, this voluptuous female figure is modeled with calm dignity and symbolic richness. The face is serene, with almond-shaped eyes beneath a continuous brow, a faint smile, and full, rounded features often associated with fertility. The hair is neatly parted and tied back with a cord, revealing large kundala (circular earrings). She wears a thick necklace with a large floral pendant, kangkana (bracelets), and a prominent kuchabhanda (breast ornament) that extends across the torso. A smooth paridhana (sarong) wraps the lower body and falls to the feet. Atop her head is the remnant of a concave vessel, likely once serving as an oil lamp, offering stand, or architectural element.

Figures of this type may relate to fertility cults in ancient Java and could evoke Prithivi, the earth mother goddess, a symbol of abundance and nourishment in Hindu-Buddhist cosmology.

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. 68 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Javanese terracotta figure of Hariti, 4th–15th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 2009.321. Compare a related Javanese bronze figure of a standing female in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object number: 1987.142.192. See also Pratapaditya Pal, Icons of Piety, Images of Whimsy: Asian Terracottas from the Walter-Grounds Collection, Los Angeles 1987, nos. 79 & 82, for two more related figures.

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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