A PINK SANDSTONE BUST OF A GODDESS, GUPTA PERIOD Northern India, c. 5^th-6^th century. Finely carved with prominent, voluptuous breasts, adorned with beaded jewelry, the serene face with almond-shaped eyes below gently arched eyebrows and full lips forming a gentle smile, the curly hair tied into a high chignon, backed by a circular mandorla.

Provenance: Stefaan Grusenmeyer, Brussels, Belgium, 1990. A French private collection, acquired from the above. Old inventory number '285' to the stand. Stefaan Grusenmeyer was a Belgian art dealer initially based in Ghent. In 1983, he opened a gallery in Brussels, which his son Karim took over in 2000. The gallery specializes in sculpture, archaeology, jewelry, and decorative arts from Southeast Asia, China, and India.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, weathering and erosion, minor losses, encrustations, a minor old repair to the chin, nicks, scratches, few structural cracks.

Weight: 10.9 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 35.3 cm (excl. stand) and 47.8 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted to a modern metal stand. (2)

Literature comparison:
Compare a related terracotta head of a female deity, dated 5^th century, in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, accession number 81.288.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 18 March 2013, lot 39
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 49,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A red sandstone stele of Durga, Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Gupta period, circa 5^th century
Expert remark: Note the size (31 cm high)