A RARE BRONZE GROUP DEPICTING SHIVA AND PARVATI WITH NANDI, CENTRAL JAVA, CIRCA 900-950 AD

Indonesia. Well cast with Shiva and Parvati each seated in ardhapadmasana on a beaded double lotus base raised on a shared rectangular tiered plinth, the holy bull Nandi seated in a recumbent pose before them. The shared openwork foliate throne-back centered by a flowerhead and surmounted by two flaming mandorlas, each topped with a small chattri. Both are wearing a neatly incised dhoti and richly adorned with ornate jewelry, their faces with serene expressions, marked by almond-shaped eyes, elegantly arched brows, and gently smiling lips.

Provenance: Galleria La Balaustra Antichita, Bologna, Italy. Collection of Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above (invoice not available). Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Wear and casting irregularities. Minor losses, dings, little warping, signs of erosion, weathering, and corrosion, encrustations. The bronze covered with a rich, naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations.

Weight: 1,431 g
Dimensions: Height 15 cm, Width 8.7 cm

Shiva’s right hand is held in karana mudra with the left holding a water pot, his secondary hands holding a mala and a fly whisk, the upavita (sacred thread) in the form of a snake with its hood raised near the left shoulder, his hair arranged into a high jatamukuta centered by a skull and crescent moon, secured by a foliate tiara, a few locks elegantly falling over his shoulders. His consort Parvati has her hands held in karana mudra and her hair is similarly arranged.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze group of Vairocana and his Consort, Jawa Timur (Province), dated 900-950, in the collection of the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen and included in the permanent exhibition at the Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, The Indonesian Bronzes. Compare a closely related bronze group of Ratnasambhava and Mamaki, Eastern Java, c. 10^th century, exhibited by the Ethnological Museum, Berlin, 2014, no. 243.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 September 2007, lot 349
Price: USD 32,200 or approx. EUR 44,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small bronze figure of Ganesha, Indonesia, Central Java, 10^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and patina, as well as the related modeling. Note the smaller size (11.7 cm) and that this bronze depicts only a single deity.