India, Gupta Dynasty to Pala Empire periods, ca. 5th to 10 century CE. A temple brick with a relief depiction of a woman - perhaps a goddess - holding twin round objects and dressed in a large headdress, a necklace, and a skirt with a long ornament dangling from its belt. She faces forward and is depicted standing in a low relief doorway. Comes with custom stand. Size: 8.5" W x 15.1" H (21.6 cm x 38.4 cm)

The Gupta period is sometimes referred to as India's Golden Age, when imperial patronage allowed the arts to flourish; the Gupta period had great influence on subsequent periods, like that of the Pala Empire and Kashmir. Their refined artistic forms are characterized by fluid, almost whimsical carving, with gentle curves and a geometric attention to symmetry and shape. The Pala Empire, meanwhile, was artistically influenced by the Gupta period and was the last major Buddhist power in India, although their sculptural art, as here, often includes Hindu elements and iconography.

Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection

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#119075

Age wear and slight encrustation to surface, but shape is clear.