90 - Antique Champa stone worshipper Vietnam 10-11th c
3800-8000 €
Champa Worshiper
possibly late 10th or early 11th century
Height: 45 cm Width: 15 cm
Measurements are excluding the base.
Antique Vietnamese piece from the Nguyen collection collected by the former owner's grandfather in the 1950s-1970s. Purchased at the Mimosa Gallery on March 14, 2019.
Microscopic analysis of the piece
Sculpture in the round representing a worshiper in Anjali Mudra (a gesture of veneration and greeting).
The smiling face and the prominent jewelry (earrings made of a stack of discs, the necklace with a pearl motif, and the two bracelets) are typical of the Trä Quieu style, but the Chamlike face (broad nose, clearly raised eyebrows, and full lips) are reminiscent of a transitional Chan Lô style.
This worshipper was part of a temple, as evidenced by the tenon at the back of the piece. I believe this is an antefix, located high up (the worshipper's gaze is downwards and the sculpture has a "rough" finish).
This could be an apsara-type worshipper. Apsaras are graceful and charming nymphs born from the churning of the sea of milk. They therefore have a magical and divine origin.
They are the pleasure companions of the devas, but also of the assuras. They are very beautiful women, temptresses of the ancestors.
Commission fees of only 20% + inhouse shipment available
