A PINK SANDSTONE BUST OF A CELESTIAL DEITY India, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, 12^th century. Finely carved with prominent, voluptuous breasts, adorned with beaded jewelry, the serene face with almond-shaped eyes below gently arched eyebrows and full lips forming a gentle smile, the hair in fine rows parted by a beaded headdress.

Provenance: From the collection of Helen Cunningham and Ted Newbold. Ted Newbold (1930-2018) was a broker and civic leader in Philadelphia, with a lifelong passion for art. In 1984, he married Helen Cunningham, who shared his love for the arts and collecting. Newbold was one of the founders of the “Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art” and a 50-year trustee of the Museum itself. He was a board member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Fleisher Art Memorial. Works of art donated by Helen Cunningham and Ted Newbold are in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Woodmere Art Museum, and the Fleischer Art Memorial, among others.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive weathering, wear and losses, small nicks here and there, few structural cracks.

Weight: 4,353 g (incl. base)
Dimensions: Height 20.8 cm (excl. base) and 29 cm (incl. base)

Mounted on a modern base. (2)

Auction result comparison: Compare a related sandstone bust of a celestial deity, of slightly larger size (30 cm high) and also dated c. 12^th century, at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 19 March 2014, lot 1080, sold for USD 25,000.