Decorative bone applique. India, Shunga period, 1st century B.C. H 8.5 - 7.5 cm. Including four yakshi, one with a fish tail and one with wings, a yaksha standing on a palm tree, a seated, bearded Brahmin with a nimbus in a praying posture (h 5.7 cm, with three small holes for fastening) and two heads of kushans (h 2.5 and 2.3 cm) 8 pieces! Yakshi is the female form of the Yakshas, who are regarded as guardians of treasures hidden in the earth and are therefore counted among the followers of Kubera, the god of wealth. Mostly intact, partially chipped at the edges. Provenance: ex collection Dr. Klaus Marquardt, North Rhine-Westphalia, 1980s to 2009; ex Gorny & Mosch, auction 154, 12 December 2006, ex lot 547 (seated bearded man, male heads).

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.