North India

Expressive male head in terracotta, Northern India, probably Uttar Pradesh / middle Ganges valley, Gupta period, 5th–6th century CE. Important fragmentary terracotta head representing a male figure with a particularly lively expression, characterized by a wide smile, full cheeks, large eyes drawn under strongly arched eyebrow arches and a spectacular elaborate coiffure. The figure wears large ear ornaments and a high headdress composed of several superimposed volumes. Its upper part combines a protruding central element with a semi-circular structure adorned with radiating incisions, giving the sculpture a particularly distinctive silhouette. The precise identity of the character remains open. The jovial appearance may evoke a Gana or a Yaksha, semi-divine figures well known in ancient Indian art. An interpretation as a court figure or Vidūṣaka, the traditional fool characterized by strong expressivity and unusual hairstyles, is also an interesting possibility. In the absence of the body and additional attributes, none of these identifications is presented as certain. Style and technique point to important terra cotta traditions developed in the middle Ganges valley during the Gupta period, notably in centers such as Ahichchhatra, Rajghat and, more broadly, Uttar Pradesh. These connections are stylistic and technical; no precise archaeological provenance to one of these sites is claimed. The piece was designed hollow, as shown by the wide cavity visible beneath the head. This construction lightened the sculpture and facilitated its drying and firing. Its creation appears to combine casting, modeling, and manual refinements, particularly visible in the treatment of the coiffure and incised details. The back is much more roughly worked than the front, indicating that the head was probably intended to be viewed mainly frontally or in three-quarter view. It could have belonged to a large figure or to a decorative composition, without a specific architectural function being demonstrable. The terracotta retains pinkish-red to reddish-orange tones under beige light and whitish deposits. Wear is more pronounced on exposed reliefs, while hollows and incisions retain more deposits. State: generally good condition for an old fragmentary terracotta. Wear, abrasions, chips and ancient losses, especially on certain peripheral parts and the coiffure. The face preserves excellent legibility. No major restoration, no major rejoining, and no obvious reconstruction are visible in the examined documentation. Displayed on a modern metal base. Provenance: former private Belgian collection, acquired between 1979 and 2009, then transmitted through descendants in 2023. Dimensions without base: 19 × 10.5 × 8.5 cm. Reported weight: 1.155 kg. Height with base: 26.3 cm. No thermoluminescence analysis has been conducted. The proposed attribution and dating rest on stylistic, technical, structural, material, and comparative study of the piece. video Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bspsh7p8woe2igzwr9kf6/AJ9W5kl_jzkqAKYKZcOHQjo?rlkey=yqib1hg92ukqs3ec7dd2gp3x6&dl=0

Estimation:€1,700

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