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A VERY RARE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VARUNA, QIANLONG PERIOD
奥地利
04月16日 下午5点 开拍 /14天1小时
拍品描述
China, 1736-1795. Exquisitely cast, the deity straddling a makara, the vahana well detailed with flaming red hair, long snout, open mouth revealing tongue and teeth, and a flamboyantly curling tail, the deity's torso turned to the side, his hands raised in karana mudra, richly adorned with beaded jewelry and dressed in a voluminous dhoti and a shawl draped across his shoulders.His serene face with sinuously lidded eyes, elegantly arched brows, and slender lips pursed to form a subtle smile, the eyes and lips finely painted, the hair pulled up into a high chignon surmounted by a jewel behind the five-leaf tiara.The separately cast matching rockwork base is sealed with a bronze plate, neatly incised with a double vajra.Provenance: The collection of Hippolyte and Gabriel Jouveau-Dubreuil, Paris, France, thence by descent. Auguste 'Hippolyte' Jouveau-Dubreuil (1883-1971) was a physician and researcher at the Pasteur Institute, best known for his work combating epidemics, particularly smallpox. Appointed to Chengdu in 1911, he led effective vaccination campaigns adapted to local conditions, sharply reducing outbreaks. Alongside his medical career, he developed a deep interest in Chinese culture and assembled a collection of Tibetan and Chinese works of art, including religious sculptures, thangkas, and furniture. His brother, Gabriel Jouveau-Dubreuil (1885-1945), was an archaeologist and historian specializing in South India. After moving to Pondicherry in 1909, he spent nearly three decades studying the major dynasties of the Deccan. Traveling widely, he explored temples, excavated Buddhist sites, and documented sculptures, inscriptions, and ritual objects, contributing decisively to the recognition of Pallava and Chola art in Europe. Through his excavations and key publications, including Archaeology of South India and Pallava Antiquities, he demonstrated that South Indian art and architecture followed coherent, codified principles. His awareness of the importance of preservation led him to contribute significantly to the collections of the Musée Guimet in Paris and the Madras Museum.Condition: Very good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities. The base with a small copper casting patch probably inherent to the manufacture. Few small nicks, minimal losses to gilt, minor surface abrasions. A small loss to one thumb. The pigments well preserved with only little flaking. Weight: 280 g (excl. wood stand), 350.8 g (incl. wood stand)Dimensions: Height 10 cm (excl. wood stand), 13.2 cm (incl. wood stand)With a fitted wood stand. (2)Varuna is among the earliest deities of the Indian religious tradition, first recorded in the Rig Veda, where he presides over the celestial waters and the expanse of the sky. Over time, his role expanded to encompass the guardianship of cosmic order, law, and truth, establishing him as both a moral and natural authority. In later Indian and Buddhist cosmologies, Varuna assumes a fixed position as the guardian deity (dikpala) of the western direction. In Theravada traditions, Varuna continues as a deva associated with water, rainfall, and the maintenance of natural order. Within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist systems, Varuna was incorporated into the pantheon of worldly protectors, governing the element of water and the oceanic realms. In art, Varuna is traditionally depicted riding the makara, a mythical aquatic creature symbolizing his dominion over the waters. His cult spread from India into Tibet and China through Buddhist ritual and textual transmission, though sculptural representations of this deity are exceedingly rare.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of Tara, 18th century, illustrated by Jeff Watt on Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 32649. Compare a closely related gilt bronze figure of Varuna, dated 18th-19th century, in the Tokyo National Museum, collection reference no. TC-296. Compare a closely related gilt bronze figure of Varuna in the Capital Museum, Beijing.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 21 September 2007, lot 136Price: USD 37,000 or approx. EUR 49,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing: A gilt bronze figure of Nagaraji, Tibet, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting. Note the similar size (12.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Paris, 10 June 2015, lot 36Price: EUR 20,000 or approx. EUR 24,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing: Statuette de Varuna en bronze doré, Dynastie Qing, XVIIIE siècleExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, and manner of casting.

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