Ancient India – Bengal

Beautiful terracotta plaque from ancient Bengal representing a prominent richly adorned female figure, accompanied by a smaller assistant. The composition belongs to the characteristic repertoire of Chandraketugarh terracottas, one of the great artistic centers of ancient Bengal. The main figure, depicted frontally, wears a monumental hairstyle, numerous jewels, a multi-tiered wide belt, and a finely rhythmic garment. Her ornamental richness and dominant placement allow her, with caution, to be identified as a Yakṣī or a semi-divine female figure. To her right stands a second woman, intentionally represented at a smaller scale according to a well-documented hierarchical principle in Chandraketugarh plaques. This reading helps discard the older interpretation of “mother and child”: the small figure has an adult morphology, with clearly indicated chest, waist, belt, and garment. The plaque was made using a unifacial mold, a technique typical of this production: the entire scene is concentrated on the front face, while the rear is flat and simply polished. This method of manufacture allowed for the diffusion of highly elaborate compositions, while preserving great precision in hairstyle, jewelry, and costume details. The best parallels are found in the series of Yakṣī and female figures with assistants from Chandraketugarh, dated to the Śuṅga period. The overall stylistic and technical criteria lead to a proposed dating to the 2nd–1st century BCE, probably around 150–50 BCE. The piece retains good legibility despite its age: natural wear of the reliefs, small marginal losses, and ancient deposits in recessed areas. It is presented on a modern metal plinth. Provenance: former Belgian private collection, formed between 1979 and 2009, then passed by succession in 2023. Dimensions without base: 13 × 8 × 1.7 cm. Weight without base: 217.6 g. Total height with base: 17 cm. No thermoluminescence testing has been carried out. Attribution is based on material, technical, stylistic, and comparative examination of the work. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dntlcw8ptc5hyhqnbpfsy/AF_bQGEGua0rnivsl1HuaLU?rlkey=csc5rk8bfj5quaog00bhpfpq8&dl=0

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