Kapoor Galleries
A pair of carved, silvered and painted wood figures of Rampant Horses
19th century
India
Wood, silver, paint
Height: 33 1/2 inches (85.1 cm)
Caparisoned in intricate carvings of jewels and textiles, the present pair of silver horse sculptures are examples of the fine silver craftsmanship in India. The foliate motifs throughout the surface show the traces of low-relief and high-relief silver carving. The lines accentuating the details of the physique of the horses are incised in high-relief, whereas the embellishment through foliate motifs is incised in low-relief. One can also spot motifs like the acanthus leaf motif at the lower limbs of the horse; this speaks for the time period of British Raj in India. In order to meet the demands of their North American and European Clientele, Indian silversmiths created a beautiful fusion of Indian and European design sensibilities. The piece also depicts embellishments of arabesque motifs like flower vines and scrolls.
The winged horse takes the center stage in various Hindu mythic episodes. According to Vastu Shastra (the study of Indian spatial design and architecture) the very archetypal galloping horses symbolize strength, bravery and devotion and are said to charge spaces with positive energy.
A winged horse is the depiction of Devadatta (the horse of Kalki, Vishnu’s tenth incarnation). It is noteworthy that the depiction of Kalki varies in terms of the visual idiom. It is often in the form of a white winged horse or as a warrior on a white horse (both used visual idioms are used interchangeably). Refer the following painting (ac.IS.113-1949) from the Victoria and Albert Museum which portrays Kalki with his winged horse.
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An Illustration from the Bharany Ramayana Series: The Monkey Army intruding Upon a Demon’s Cave
First Generation after Nainsukh or Manaku
India, Guler
1775-1780
Opaque Watercolor with gold on paper
Folio: 9 7⁄8 x 14 inch (25.1 x 35.6 cm); Image: 7 5⁄8 x 11 5⁄8 inches (19.4 x 29.5 cm)
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Illustration to the Gita Govinda: The Charming Flautist
Attributed to a master of the first generation after Nainsukh and Manaku
Guler or Kangra
c. 1775
Opaque watercolor with gold on paper
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Uma (Parvati)
Mandi, style of Sajnu, circa 1810
Opaque watercolor heightened with silver and gold on paper
Image: 9 1/8 x 5 7/8 inches (23.2 x 14.9 cm)
Folio: 11 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches (29.8 x 21 cm)
Provenance:
Royal Mandi collection
Acquired by the present owner on the UK art market
The majesty of this supreme shakti is perfectly captured by this finely decorated Pahari composition. Her beauty, as her name indicates, transcends the vast Tripura (three demon citadels) within which she is believed to have defeated many demons. For she is the transcendent form of the supreme Devi Parvati and rules over the Trimurti (divine triad) of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Thus, she is also known as ‘Raja Rajeshwari,’ meaning the ‘Queen of all Kings and Rulers.’
The mahavidhya’s power is not only captured by her elaborate enthronement and godly ornamentation, but also by the ethereal gaze the artist rendered so well; her wide and bright third eye clearly visible in this rendering of the deity in profile. Her identity is revealed by her red skin and her four arms, two of which hold an elephant goad and a lasso.
Her identity is corroborated by a small painted image, pasted within the border atop the painting folio depicting the Parvati yantra: a six-pointed star within an eight-petaled lotus surrounded by a square with gates in the four cardinal directions. It is typical to find such an associated yantra as the worship of shaktis always incorporates these diagrammatic mystic charms. Such worship consists in throwing kumkuma (vermilion powder) over the yantra while speaking aloud the many epithets of Lalita Maha Tripura Sundari.
The present subject is rare among published paintings, however, one example can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, though it is currently identified as Kali (acc. CIRC.660-1969). The present painting, however, differs quite distinctly in style as it can be attributed to the style of Sajnu, the master artist who is credited with bringing the sophistication of Kangra and Guler paintings of the time to Mandi. Her profile, in particular, resembles many subjects executed by Sajnu (see Archer, W.G., Indian Painting from the Punjab Hills, Sotheby Parke Bernet, London, 1973, Mandi no. 43).
Here, Lalita appears enthroned atop the terrace of a marble palace; a pietre-dure arch between two marble pillars frames the goddess. The black margin with floral petal and leaf scrolls in white and gold meets a redspeckled yellow border. This follows, as Sajnu is known for the use of spandrels to frame his compositions and an exquisite use of florals.
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Vajravarahi
Nepal, circa 1800
Painted wood
21 in (53.3 cm) high
Published:
P. Rawson, Tantra: Hayward Gallery, London, 1971, p. 31, no. 115.
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 7547.
Exhibited:
Tantra, Hayward Gallery, London, Art Council of Great Britain, 30 September–7 November 1971.
Provenance:
The collection of Philip Goldman, London.
Hayward Gallery, London.
The present sculpture depicts Vajravarahi, a prominent female deity in tantric Buddhism and consort of Chakrasamvara. Although she is usually shown accompanying or embracing him as his other half, Vajravarahi alone is often considered to be a godly representation of the combined wisdom held by all buddhas. One of Vajravarahi’s eminent identifying features is the sow head, or varahi, emerging from behind her proper right ear. Tibetan Buddhists have symbolically used the sow to represent ignorance within their practices and the attached head implies the defeat of the beast, reinforcing Vajravarahi’s overarching wisdom and general triumph over ignorance.
Another one of Vajravarahi identifying features is her distinct pose, which appears as though she is frozen in movement, with her proper right leg bent towards her proper left thigh–a position that is referred to as ardhaparyanka. Beneath her lies a corpse, a Buddhist representation of the ultimate evil that has been conquered by Vajravarahi’s immense power. In addition to her decorated body and billowing drapery, Vajravarahi proudly wears an intricate headpiece with the heads of five humans. She also wears a large garland of severed heads that hangs around her dancing figure. In her raised proper right hand she holds a knife that is thought to be used to cut out irrelevant worldly concepts and leave only an acute awareness or jnana. Her proper left hand holds a small cup, usually a skull, that is said to be filled with blood or the scrambled ideas of humans. The present sculpture’s intense and violent imagery further emphasizes Vajravarahi’s vigor and power as she symbolically defeats ignorance, the fear of death, and other earthly or mundane views.
For another depiction of Vajravarahi, see Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 34057. This Vajrayogini (Vajravarahi’s form without the sow head) also displays the deity’s standard iconography and pose as well as similar billowing drapery.
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Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini
Nepal, 15th-16th century
Gilt copper
Height: 8 1/2 inches (22 cm)
Provenance:
Henri and Dolores Kamer, New York
Private American collection, acquired from the above in the early 1990s
Published:
Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 16809
Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini are important deities of the highest class of yogic practice in Vajrayana Buddhism. This small gilt-bronze sculpture of meditational deities in union exudes an energy that reaches far beyond the boundaries of its surface. Chakrasamvara is depicted here according to Tibetan Buddhist convention, with four faces and twelve hands, in alidhasana, embraced by his consort Vajrayogini. Together they trample the deities Bhairava (who lies prostrate) and Kalaratri (who lies supine). The multi-headed tutelary deity holds various attributes with his many arms radiating around him, the principle arms holding a vajra and bell and the uppermost holding the ends of a tiger skin which he drapes over his back.
This lustrous gilt-bronze sculpture is representative of the highest quality Nepalese craftsmanship. Its magnificence is embedded not only in the semi-precious inset ornaments that adorn the deities gleaming golden, perfectly proportioned bodies, but perhaps more so in the sweetness of the countenances and the apparent meeting of the male and female manifestation’s gazes—the intangible, yet most-human feature of this sculpture.
Compare the present sculpture to a fourteenth-century sculpture of Chakrasamvara in union with Vajrayogini from Central Tibet at the Rubin Museum of Art (acc. C2005.16.16) which has repeatedly been attributed to the hand of a Nepalese artist in exhibitions and publications (see Collection Highlights: The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 2014, p. 106). The Rubin sculpture appears to have been crafted in Tibet for a number of reasons including the appearance of the metal alloy beneath the gilding and the fixtures revealed on the backside of the figure and base which indicate that it would have been mounted on a larger structure, likely a tashi gomang or a stupa of ‘many auspicious doors.’ The similarities between the present sculpture and the Rubin example, in terms of craftsmanship and style are significant as the Rubin sculpture more directly evidences the significant relationship between Nepalese craftsmanship and Tibetan Buddhist worship.
Newar craftsmen made Vajrayana buddhist figures such as the present for both Nepalese and Tibetan patrons in both Nepal and Tibet. However, the unfinished backside of the present figure’s lotus base and the remnants of red pigment thereon are telltale signs of a geographical Nepalese provenance. The modeling of the lotus petals and red pigment applied to the back of the base can be observed on a stylistically similar sculpture of Sahaja Chakrasamvara at the British Museum (acc. 1921,0219.1) attributed to the sixteenth century and acquired directly from Nepal. The present bronze group, however, is far more complex and impressive.
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A Ram’s Head Shamshir
Northeastern India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow
19th century
Height: 33 inches (83.8 cm)
Provenance:
Acquired on the UK art market
The shamshir’s name comes from the radical curve of its blade, translating to ‘lion’s claw’ or ‘lion’s tail.’ The blade itself is forged from wootz steel; the carbon deposits within the iron ingots forming intricate wave-like patterns known as ‘damascus.’ A modern scabbard of tooled black leather, attached with shell-shaped brackets for suspension, accompanies the sword.
The present shamshir is a beautiful example of the famed silver metalware produced in Lucknow during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The diamond-shaped quillion is made from engraved silver with fine blue and green champleve and basse-taille enamelling particularly characteristic of Lucknow. In the center is a Hyderabadi poppy in aquamarine blue–a distinctive motif in the Lucknow vocabulary which demonstrates the fusion of Deccani opulence and Mughal naturalism. (see Mark Zebrowski, Gold, Silver & Bronze from Mughal India, 1997, p. 87, pl. 74.)
Perched above is a bird in blue and cherry red, its head bowed and wings spread wide. A spiral of bristling green leaves encircles the scene, and is flanked by two birds in flight. On the border appears a quatrefoil floral pattern on a blue ground, another characteristic motif of Nawabi enamel. The quillon’s tapered ends mirror the splendid offset pommel, which is formed into a ram’s head. The fine etchings in the ram’s fur and curling horns shine through the vibrant blue and orange enamel, contrasting the animal’s brilliant silver smile. The grip–extending as if the curving neck of the ram–is made of translucent rock crystal, secured to the tang with small pins.
Compare the present example to another fine ram’s head shamshir from Lucknow currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc. 36.25.1302a, b). The scabbard exhibits similar enameled metal work motifs such as the Hyderabad poppy, the scrolling green foliage, and the quatrefoil floral border.
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Portrait of a Woman with a Cat
India, Mughal
18th century
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
Image: 6 ¼ x 4 inches (15.9 x 10.2 cm)
Folio: 11 ¾ x 8 ¼ inches (29.8 x 21 cm)
Provenance:
From a distinguished New York collection, acquired 1968
Published:
B.N. Goswamy, The Indian Cat, New Delhi, 2023, Cat. 39, pp 140-141
A European noblewoman in a three-quarter frontal view – dressed in a Sixteenth Century Portuguese manner with a pleated green collared tunic over an orange dress enveloped by a flowing yellow and mauve cape – pets her tame cat with both hands. Her brown curly hair is long and braided with a single jeweled feathered ornament on her forehead. She sits at the edge of a circular raised white basin (or perhaps a well?) employed as a vertical visual device to highlight and elevate the subject against the green ground rising to a lighter flat oxidized verdigris background.
Her curly brown hair and bold three-quarter view tells us that she is certainly not an Indian – but rather a farangi – a foreigner (and in particular a Westerner) with strange habits and morals and an object of curiosity and some mockery. She poses here as an idealized archetypal European – enigmatically sitting balanced at the edge of a circular basin or cushion rising vertically beneath her – her odd cat staring directly back at us.
This painting reflects the continuous fascination with European and Christian themes as depicted by Mughal artists and their patrons beginning with the first contacts with Portuguese Jesuit missionaries and other visitors to the court of Akbar in the Sixteenth Century. In the manner of Seventeenth Century Mughal miniatures depicting single figures – including those based upon imported engravings and paintings of Western Biblical themes – she sits isolated against a flat copper-oxide green background. The present work is a version – possibly of an earlier Seventeenth Century original – likely produced at Delhi dating to the latter Eighteenth Century.
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Abhaya Mudra: The gesture symbolizing Peace, Protection and Benevolence
A large stucco hand of Buddha
Gandhara, 3rd century
Height: 15 inches (38 cm)
Provenance:
Japanese Collection, acquired in 1990s
Christie’s New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 16 September, 2008, lot 325
Finely casted, the present sculpture of Buddha’s right hand with all five fingers extended in Abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness) with fine detailed creases in his palm and fingers consisting of red pigment remains overall. A symbol of reverence, the hand here stands for Buddha himself. It also brings to attention the paramount significance of Mudras in Buddhist art and in the Buddhist religion at large. Mudras are a set of hand gestures symbolizing Buddha’s various roles and states of mind. Mudras have often, if not always, been pedagogical tools used to refashion pedagogical religious Buddhist religious doctrine into comprehensible symbolic narratives.
Buddhism reached Gandhara in the third century B.C. The present sculpture from the same time-period makes it a coveted object from the origins of Gandharan Buddhism.
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Pietra-Dura Marble Games Table
19th century
Agra
24 1/2 inches (62.2 cm) sq; 22 ½ inches (57 cm) high
Provenance:
Sotheby’s New York, 28 October 1991, lot 182
This is both a rare and remarkable example of pietra-dura, a decorative art form perfected during the 19th century in Agra, known for its intricate craftsmanship and as the domicile of the magnificent Taj Mahal. This art form, heralded for its precision in stone marquetry, features an opulent inlay work that mirrors the ornamental grandeur of the Taj Mahal’s interior designs. The masterful composition is laid upon a luxuriant expanse of white marble, which serves as a canvas for the symphony of semiprecious stones.
Each stone is meticulously chosen and carved for its color and lustre, creating a harmonious visual narrative across the surface. Serpentine contributes its deep green tones symbolizing tranquility, while carnelian offers a touch of warm, sunset hues, signifying protection. Red porphyry introduces regal purples, historically associated with nobility, and breccia’s richly patterned presence speaks to diversity. Granite, known for its granular texture, provides a robust foundation, complemented by the fine banding of agate.
Lapis lazuli, with its celestial blues, has been prized since antiquity for its representation of honor and royalty. Blood-stone injects a vigour with its dark, greenish hue speckled with vivid red spots, whereas onyx’s banded elegance introduces a layer of depth. Jasper, in its earthy reds, anchors the composition with its grounding force, and slate offers a subdued yet substantial backdrop with its fine-grained texture.
This table, beyond its visual allure, encapsulates a narrative of artistic ingenuity, cultural exchange, and the perpetuation of Mughal aesthetic principles through its materials and motifs. Such an object would not only serve as a functional furnishing but also as a historical artifact, embodying the zenith of craftsmanship in the Agra region during the period. The intricate floral motifs that flourish across the border are reminiscent of the Mughal’s celebrated love for nature and gardens, which were symbolically represented as paradisical in their architecture and art.
In sum, this pietra-dura piece is not only a testament to the artisan’s skill but also a conduit of cultural heritage, reflecting the historical context of its origin and the aesthetic values of the time.
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Lakshmi-Narayana enthroned
Kangra, dated Samvat 1845 (1798 C.E.)
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
8 ¼ x 8 ⅛ in. (21 x 20.7 cm)
Provenance:
Hearst & Hearst, Boston, early 1980s
Private Boston collection
In the vibrant Kangra painting “Lakshmi-Narayana Enthroned,” the central figures of Lakshmi and Narayana are depicted with an opulence befitting their divine status. The artwork, a square piece graced with a lotus yantra, signifies the intersection of earthly majesty and cosmic order, a theme often explored in the Pahari school’s visual narratives.
The divine couple is encased within a pujayantra, indicative of their roles in meditative and worship practices. The eight lotus petals and four gates are classic elements of yantric iconography, signifying purity and the cardinal directions, which hold esoteric and astronomical significance. The immaculate attention to detail, particularly in the adornments and facial expressions, is characteristic of the Kangra style, renowned for its delicate naturalism and lyrical quality.
Inscription Analysis:
The verso of the painting features a devanagari couplet offering a poignant prayer to Raghu Veer (Lord Rama), emphasizing the artwork’s intended use as an aid to devotion and a beacon for salvation. The eloquent appeal to the deity to listen to the ‘songs of the world’s suffering’ and provide rescue and joy further elucidates the painting’s role as a spiritual talisman. The inscription, “My Lovely Lakshmi Narayan,” encapsulates the personal and intimate connection between the devotee and the divine, a testament to the bhakti tradition’s enduring presence in Hindu worship.
Art Historical Context:
This painting is anchored in the Kangra tradition, which itself is part of the larger Pahari painting movement that flourished in the Himalayan foothills from the 17th to the 19th century. The Kangra paintings often featured idyllic themes, celebrating both the divine and the mundane with a distinctive palette known for its soothing, verdant hues. The era of its creation, the late 18th century, marks a period of rich cultural synthesis and artistic patronage, during which the Pahari style saw a significant infusion of Mughal influences, evident in the finesse of line work and the spatial composition of the artwork.
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ASIA WEEK NEW YORK 2024
Time is a Construct
March 14 – 22, 2024
Asia Week Hours: Mar 14-22, 11am-5pm (otherwise by appointment)
Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 13, 6-8 pm
Art serves as a compass for our conscience, guiding us across the vast dimensions of time and space. More than a visual representation, art embodies the very essence of culture, punctuating the canvas of existence with strokes of meaning.
This exhibition serves as a pivotal moment in contemporary times, prompting a reevaluation of the relationship between art, culture, and their collective influence across time and space. The examination of Indian miniature paintings is a focal point of this introspection; the deliberate repetition of characters and spatial elements over centuries emerge as a nuanced artistic strategy. This repetition is hardly monotonous. Instead, the repetition reveals a profound symbolic depth in the continuity of timeless themes.
Art doesn’t merely depict the passage of time; it assumes the role of a conductor, steering the passage of time itself. Across diverse cultures, every artistic stroke, form, and creation contributes to a narrative that resonates across epochs. In immersive encounters with art the boundaries of time blur, leaving us suspended in the timelessness of artistic expression and human imagination.
Highlights of the exhibition include a finely rendered painting from the Bharany Ramayana series, a pair of carved and silvered horses, and a splendid folio from the Gita Govinda. The gallery exhibition will also showcase many fine Indian miniature paintings and arms as well as a carefully curated selection of sculptures from India, Nepal, and Tibet. The New York exhibition will be open to the public from the 14th of March through the 22nd. We look forward to sharing this fine assembly of artworks with you!
View our latest online catalog here.
To view the online exhibition: click here.
Latest Collection and Virtual Exhibitions
View our latest collection of ancient and classical fine arts of India and the Himalayas through our online catalogs and virtual exhibitions. We offer an abundant array of fine paintings, sculptures, and works of art that can be perused in an online gallery.
In addition to the recent exhibition Religious Art: Exaltation through Expression, other notable presentations include Divine Gestures: Channels of Enlightenment, Dhanvantari’s Blessing, Incarnations of Devotion: South Asian Works of Art, Incarnations of Devotion: Tibetan and Buddhist Paintings and Bronzes, and God/Goddess, to name a few.
To learn more about our collection, have a look at our virtual catalog and for more information about our exhibitions click here.