111 - A RARE CYPRESS-WOOD FIGURE OF A HITEN (APSARA), HEIAN PERIOD

A RARE CYPRESS-WOOD FIGURE OF A HITEN (APSARA), HEIAN PERIOD Japan, 10th century, Heian period (794-1185) Finely carved from cypress wood, the celestial attendant shown in dynamic flight, the body twisting gracefully as the arms extend outward and the voluminous drapery and long scarves billow around the figure in sweeping curves. The head is gently inclined, with the hair gathered into a high coiffure, while the softly modeled torso and slender limbs convey an elegant sense of weightlessness and movement. LENGTH 40 cm (excl. stand), HEIGHT 53 cm (incl. stand) Condition: Good condition, commensurate to age. Several age cracks, splits, losses, all as expected from a wood figure of over 1,000 years of age. Several sections reinforced with nails. With an associated presentation stand. Hiten (apsaras) are celestial beings who inhabit the Buddhist paradise and are frequently shown flying around images of the Buddha, often playing musical instruments, scattering flowers, or making offerings. Their airborne movement is conveyed through fluttering scarves and dramatically flowing garments. In Japanese Buddhist sculpture, hiten commonly adorned mandorlas and other elements surrounding monumental Buddhist images. The powerful modeling and considerable scale of the present figure suggest that it originally formed part of such a large and important sculptural ensemble. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related cypress wood figure of a hiten, Heian period, dated to the 10 th century, 31.8 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2002.447.3. Auction comparison: Compare a related later gilt cypress-wood figure of a hiten (apsara), Heian period, dated to the 12th century, 33 cm high, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 21 March 2012, New York, lot 983 (sold for USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).