80 - A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF A YOUNG DEVOTEE, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 2ND-4TH CENTURY

A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF A YOUNG DEVOTEE, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, 2ND-4TH CENTURY Finely modeled, the youthful devotee standing upright against a narrow back slab, with his left hand resting at the hip, wearing pendant earrings and a beaded necklace, the lower body wrapped in a short garment falling in densely pleated folds. The rounded face with almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and full lips. The hair arranged in neat curls and surmounted by a large hand from an accompanying figure, adorned with a beaded bracelet. Provenance: The private collection of Sjoerd de Vries, and thence by descent. Sjoerd de Vries (1952-2025) was a renowned Dutch art historian, Tibetologist, and dealer of Himalayan art. In 1979, he founded Astamangala, the only gallery in the Netherlands specializing in the ancient art of Tibet, Nepal, and India. Over his long and successful career, he sold works to numerous major museums including the Metropolitan, Rubin, LACMA, British, Victoria & Albert, Guimet, and Rietberg. A respected author, de Vries wrote Buddhism for Beginners (1994) and Hinduism for Beginners (1996). As a guest curator at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, he arranged the 2009 installation of an authentic Tibetan temple, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, obvious losses, small chips, natural fissures, old repairs, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations. Weight: 2.4 kg Dimensions: Height 30.8 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2010, lot 123 Price: USD 1,500 or approx. EUR 2,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gray schist standing figure of an attendant, Gandhara, 2 nd-3 rd century Expert remark: Compare the closely related standing attendant carved in gray schist, similarly dressed and adorned with jewelry. Note the elaborate headdress and larger size (53.7 cm).