20 - Pair of standing statues

Pair of standing statues with engraved decoration. Wood weathered by time and the elements, with missing sections, remnants of lichen and white clay, and a very old, dark patina. Tharu, southwestern Nepal. H. 84 cm and H. 90 cm. Publication: - Éric Chazot, Liliane and Michel Durand-Dessert, *Himalayas – Art & Shamans*, Paris, LMDD, 2009, Volume I, pp. 84–85, reproduced full-page - *Couples et Janus*, Galerie Kanaga, Paris, December 2004, p. 49, pl. 34. Exhibition: Galerie Kanaga, Paris, December 2004. City Hall of the 6th arrondissement, Paris, 2007. These two Tharu figures, standing in a simple yet powerful frontal pose, appear to belong to the category of protective or commemorative effigies. The necklaces, belts, loincloths, and engraved motifs anchor the figures in a social and ritual identity, despite the wood’s severe erosion. Their presence stems from that rare balance between the harshness of time, the elegance of form, and the silent memory of ancestors.