{"product_id":"antiek-indiaas-houten-tempelbeeld-vrouwelijke-figuur-lot-191","title":"Antique Indian Wooden Temple Sculpture – Female Attendant – Lot 191","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAntique Indian wooden temple sculpture with surviving polychromy\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 77 cm standing female figure has the presence of a substantial architectural carving rather than a small devotional object. The long braided hair, large circular ear ornaments, layered jewellery, narrow waist and closely patterned lower garment create a strongly Indian sculptural vocabulary. Her animated stance, with the body shifting through the hips and one leg drawn back, is especially characteristic of an idealised female attendant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFemale attendant \/ nāyikā\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe catalogue the figure as a \u003cstrong\u003enāyikā or surasundarī-type temple attendant\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than assigning the name of a specific goddess. Female figures of this kind appear throughout Indian sacred art as auspicious attendants and idealised beauties within larger sculptural programmes. The small object held in the raised hand survives, but its form is not sufficiently clear to identify a more specific iconographic subtype.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy the historic surface matters\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sculpture retains an unusually layered old surface. Red and ochre-toned colour, black passages and pale preparation layers remain visible in protected recesses beneath the darkened exterior. Craquelure, rubbing on projecting details, shrinkage and accumulated deposits have developed unevenly across the carving. These features are recorded as part of the object’s historic surface; no attempt is made to interpret the dark areas as proof of a particular ritual treatment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wood has not been stripped back to a uniform new finish. Tool marks, age cracks and worn pigment remain visible, preserving much of the visual depth that gives old Indian polychrome wood its character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDating and regional context\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe figure is attributed to \u003cstrong\u003eIndia, 18th–19th century\u003c\/strong\u003e. The closest stylistic direction is currently South or East India, with useful parallels in the carved wooden traditions of Tamil Nadu and Odisha. The jewellery, long braid, patterned garment and lively stance support this Indian attribution, while the exact regional workshop remains open to further refinement.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 77 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 27 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7.1 kg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e solid carved wood with historic polychromy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e India, South or East Indian tradition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18th–19th century\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e female temple attendant \/ nāyikā \/ surasundarī type\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1stbuddha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56575318851915,"sku":"191","price":6900.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/6170\/5547\/files\/nepal-houten-lakshmi-beeld-newar-massief-snijwerk-polychromie.jpg?v=1771580720","url":"https:\/\/1stbuddha.com\/products\/antique-indian-wooden-temple-figure-lot-191","provider":"1stbuddha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}