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A MAJAPAHIT TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A MOTHER GODDESS
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 GODDESS

Published: Editor Paolo Bertuzzi; Author Agus Aris Munandar: Majapahit: Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom, 2023, p. 56, fig. 023.

Indonesia, East Java, Trowulan area, Majapahit Empire (1297-1527). Though echoing the iconography of Hariti, this finely modeled terracotta figure diverges from conventional representations of the child-protecting goddess in notable ways. The robust female figure is seated on a round pedestal with pierced geometric motifs, her broad face framed by neatly arranged hair and large circular earrings. Her features with full cheeks, a softly smiling mouth, and heavy-lidded eyes radiate a calm yet commanding presence. Richly adorned, she wears a large floral pendant necklace, kangkana (bracelets), anklets, and a tightly wrapped paridhana (sarong). Atop her head is the broken remnant of a concave vessel, possibly once functioning as an oil lamp, offering stand, or architectural element.

She is accompanied by three smaller figures: one seated on her right thigh, one perched on her raised left knee, and another positioned directly before her. Unlike typical Hariti imagery, these companions are not rendered as children but possess adult features. Each is embellished with courtly ornaments such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelet, suggesting status rather than infancy.

While the composition loosely recalls themes of fertility and protection, the presence of adult attendants points toward a more complex narrative or symbolic role, perhaps one rooted in courtly ritual, ancestral veneration, or the embodiment of female authority within Majapahit 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. 70 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Javanese terracotta figure of Hariti with children, in her guise as Men Brajut, 14th–15th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 2009.321.

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:3,000 - 6,000 欧元 起拍价格:3,000 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

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