11th Sep, 2025 11:00
The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 1
120
A CARVED WOOD ‘KINNARA AND KINNARI’ TEMPLE CEILING PANEL, KERALA, CIRCA 18TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
Sold for €780
including Buyer's Premium
South India. Of square form, carved in four pieces, separated by a wide diagonal which separates the panel in two, each resulting triangle richly carved in deep relief with the half-bird half-human kinnara and kinnari. The female musician with a veena in her hands, while her companion clasps a shehnai, pressing the reed between his lips. The figures are dressed in minutely carved garments with feather details and adorned with ornate jewelry.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Very good condition with wear and natural imperfections including age cracks and fissures. Scattered small losses around the edges, minor chips, expected signs of weathering, the wood with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.
Dimensions: Size 87.5 x 87.5 cm
This fine panel, likely carved from Jackfruit Wood (Artocarpus heterophyllus) exemplifies the ornate ceiling tiles once embedded in the namaskara-mandapam, the ritual pavilion of Kerala temples, where coffered wooden ceilings serve as both structural marvels and sacred storytelling devices. Similar ceiling panels can be found in temples across Kerala, where each square frames deities, animals, and cosmic narratives in sculptural relief. These ceilings not only honor the divine but also reflect Kerala’s ingenious wooden architectural tradition, whose timber construction, perfectly adapted to the region’s monsoon climate, predates and profoundly influences the later evolution of stone temple forms.
Jackfruit wood was among the most favored for temple sculpture in Kerala during the 18th century, because it is fine-grained, easy to carve, and becomes darker and more beautiful with age. Also, it is naturally resistant to pests and rot.
Kinnara and Kinnari are half-human-half-bird mythical creatures and constitute the celestial choir and attendants to the gods. They are often portrayed in Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and paintings. Kinnaris and Kinnaras are portrayed happy, singing and playing musical instruments.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related wood and granite panel depicting a Kinnari playing a stringed instrument, dated 16th century, in the Sri Mahadeva Temple complex in Vaikom, Kerala, and illustrated in the Virtual Museum of Images & Sounds, accession number 103406. Compare a related wood architectural element, dated 16th-18th century, in the Sri Vishnu temple in Pullur, Kerala, and illustrated in the Virtual Museum of Images & Sounds, accession number 102838.
South India. Of square form, carved in four pieces, separated by a wide diagonal which separates the panel in two, each resulting triangle richly carved in deep relief with the half-bird half-human kinnara and kinnari. The female musician with a veena in her hands, while her companion clasps a shehnai, pressing the reed between his lips. The figures are dressed in minutely carved garments with feather details and adorned with ornate jewelry.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Very good condition with wear and natural imperfections including age cracks and fissures. Scattered small losses around the edges, minor chips, expected signs of weathering, the wood with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.
Dimensions: Size 87.5 x 87.5 cm
This fine panel, likely carved from Jackfruit Wood (Artocarpus heterophyllus) exemplifies the ornate ceiling tiles once embedded in the namaskara-mandapam, the ritual pavilion of Kerala temples, where coffered wooden ceilings serve as both structural marvels and sacred storytelling devices. Similar ceiling panels can be found in temples across Kerala, where each square frames deities, animals, and cosmic narratives in sculptural relief. These ceilings not only honor the divine but also reflect Kerala’s ingenious wooden architectural tradition, whose timber construction, perfectly adapted to the region’s monsoon climate, predates and profoundly influences the later evolution of stone temple forms.
Jackfruit wood was among the most favored for temple sculpture in Kerala during the 18th century, because it is fine-grained, easy to carve, and becomes darker and more beautiful with age. Also, it is naturally resistant to pests and rot.
Kinnara and Kinnari are half-human-half-bird mythical creatures and constitute the celestial choir and attendants to the gods. They are often portrayed in Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and paintings. Kinnaris and Kinnaras are portrayed happy, singing and playing musical instruments.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related wood and granite panel depicting a Kinnari playing a stringed instrument, dated 16th century, in the Sri Mahadeva Temple complex in Vaikom, Kerala, and illustrated in the Virtual Museum of Images & Sounds, accession number 103406. Compare a related wood architectural element, dated 16th-18th century, in the Sri Vishnu temple in Pullur, Kerala, and illustrated in the Virtual Museum of Images & Sounds, accession number 102838.
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