Ancient India – Northern India

Important terracotta Bodhisattva head, Northern India, Gupta period, 5th–6th century CE, probably the 6th century. The head shows a powerful and highly expressive modeling: full face with elongated eyes, strongly drawn eyebrow arches, fleshy lips, and an elaborately arranged coiffure composed of broad locks in volutes. The ears bear heavy circular ornaments, while a slightly raised ūrnā, confirmed on physical examination at the center of the forehead, supports the identification as Bodhisattva. The piece is hollow and strongly modeled on the front and on the profiles. Its reverse, today fragmentary and not intended for viewing, indicates that it likely belonged to a larger sculptural or architectural ensemble, in line with a well-documented practice in the great terracotta centers of the Ganges valley during the Gupta period. The style shows strong affinities with productions from Ahichchhatra, particularly in the treatment of the face, the coiffure, and the ornaments, although no precise archaeological provenance can be asserted. Beautiful patina with even wear and deposits in the hollows. Displayed on a modern metal base. Provenance: old Belgian private collection, assembled between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted by inheritance in 2023. Dimensions without base: 15 × 11.5 × 10 cm. Total height with base: 22 cm. Weight without base: 958 g. No thermoluminescence tests have been performed; attribution rests on material, stylistic, and comparative examination of the work. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/7p4an2pfqgicsxkqeky5k/AKifVlMVNakbdyEYvuNEKW0?rlkey=iiqke03ctl5leman7gz2nf2uu&dl=0

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