A SANDSTONE BUST OF A FEMALE BODHISATTVA, APPLIED ARTS SCHOOL OF BIEN HOA, VIETNAM
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Description
Vietnam, first half of the 20th century. Finely carved, the oval face with almond-shaped eyes below gently arched eyebrows centered by a third eye, her full bow-shaped lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by long pendulous ears suspending circular blossom-form earrings, the hair arranged in a tall chignon behind a foliate tiara, the naked torso richly adorned with beaded necklaces and a flowing sash. The underside of the torso with a two-character mark.
Inscriptions: To the base, 'Bien Hoa'.
Provenance: British trade.
Condition: Good condition with light wear, nicks, surface scratches, and a fine patina.
Weight: 11 kg (excl. stand), 12 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 44 cm (excl. stand), 56.7 cm (incl. stand)
With a matching Huanghuali wood base, carved and facetted in elegant Art Deco style, as typical for the Bien Hoa school. (2)
The Applied Art school of Bien Hoa was established by the French government at the turn of the 20th century in Bian Hoa, Vietnam. The school mainly focused on bronzes and ceramics, but also made copies and modernist interpretations of ancient works with reconstituted Angkor stones. The present lot, carved from sandstone after a Nepalese model, appears to be unique.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2019, lot 268
Price: HKD 50,000 or approx. EUR 6,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Applied Arts School of Bien Hoa, Head of the Siamese Buddha, executed circa 1935 - 1937
Expert remark: Compare the related style, similarly copying a famous school and imbuing the work with a Vietnamese feel.
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