The priest carved with his body slightly turned, adorned with beaded jewelry and an upavita (sacred thread), the face detailed with almond-shaped eyes, high arched brows, a broad nose, and full lips, flanked by distended earlobes indicating his elite status. Sporting a long beard and groomed moustache, his hair piled up into a high chignon.

Provenance: Karim Grusenmeyer, Ghent, Belgium, 2012. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Sergeant, Ghent, acquired from the above. Karim Grusenmeyer is a Belgian art dealer based in Ghent, who took over his father's gallery in 2000, initially founded in 1983. The gallery specializes in sculpture, archaeology, jewelry, and decorative arts from Southeast Asia, China, and India. A copy of a certificate from Karim Grusenmeyer, addressed to Mr. Sergeant, confirming the dating above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, all as expected. The back with a small, partially filled hole from a previous mounting.

Weight: 2,038.8 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 16 cm (excl. stand), 26 cm (incl. stand)

Beginning in the 9th century, the Chandelas rose to power in the region of Khajuraho in Bundelkhand shifting the suzerainty once held by their ruling neighbors, the Gurjara-Pratiharas. Like other feudatories in North India, the Chandelas capitalized on the weakening position of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, establishing their own principality in the region up until their own downfall in the 13th century. Asserting their divine origins and dynastic name after Chandra, the ancient god of the moon, the Chandelas flourished as a rich and vibrant culture whose kings actively tended to the arts, poetry, and civic projects. Their most notable contributions encompass a legacy of harmoniously integrated sculpture within their architectural designs, almost all exclusively dedicated to religious ends.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Melbourne, 1 May 2007, lot 44
Price: AUD 3,600 or approx. EUR 3,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray sandstone fragment of a female figure, Central Indian, Chandella style, 12th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving. Note the size (24 cm).