487 - A PALA BASE OF A LARGE SCULPTURE NORTH INDIA 12TH CENTURY

A PALA BASE OF A LARGE SCULPTURE NORTH INDIA 12TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 8 cm Wide 8 cm Depth 5,5 cm Weight: 233 grams This small bronze preserves the lower register of a once more extensive sculptural ensemble. Two diminutive figures stand on a raised platform between upright supports; beside one appears a four-legged animal, while irregular surviving forms occupy the centre. The whole scene rests upon an architectural base with pierced openings beneath its projecting ledge. The reddish-brown surface, softened modelling and incomplete upper elements give the fragment a distinctly archaeological character, yet the lively arrangement of figures remains legible. In medieval Indian religious sculpture, the base could form an integral part of the image rather than a neutral support: subsidiary beings, animals and architectural motifs often contributed to the meaning of the principal figure above. Here that larger context has been lost, and the surviving details do not justify identifying a particular deity or narrative. What remains is an engaging glimpse of the densely populated sculptural worlds associated with the Pala artistic sphere.