A SANDSTONE RELIEF OF A VYALA, INDIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

A SANDSTONE RELIEF OF A VYALA, INDIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY
Finely carved, the beast with a powerfully curved chest, fierce eyes, and bared teeth. Encircling the neck is a beaded collar, the tail terminating in a flame-like element indicating its ferocity. A figure attempts to tame the beast, trying to keep its mouth open with one hand as the other arm is trapped in its jaw.
Provenance:
Collection of a French diplomat, assembled in the 1960s and thence by descent.
Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, losses, nicks, structural cracks.
Dimensions: Height 59 cm (excl. stand) and 67 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on a modern stand. (2)
A vyala is a mythical beast with the body of a lion and a horned, chimeric head
. These figures are among the most common features of Indian temple architecture and usually act as brackets, set into the recesses of the exterior walls, typically supporting overhanging cornices. The composite figure of lion and a mythical head is a symbol of both royalty and the force of nature, and their placement within temple architecture often serves as an element of protection.
Literature comparison:
Compare the present sculpture to a vyala from V. Desai and D. Mason, Gods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple Sculptures from North India A.D. 700-1200, New York, 1993, cat. 15.
Auction result comparison:
Compare a closely related sandstone relief depicting a vyala, 68.6 cm high, dated 11th century, at Sotheby's New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art on 23 March 2007, lot 13,
sold for USD 13,200
.