DURGA MAHISHASURAMARDINI

Lot details
The multi-armed goddess beautifully modeled in alidhasana with one foot atop her lion mount and the other above the decapitated buffalo, her face with a beatific smile as she cradles a skullcup in her left hand. A demon emerges from its decapitated body, its hands clutching the hilt and blade of the sword that just rendered his execution. The goddess’s arms fanning out holding various attributes. The face dominated by wide eyes, the deity heavily adorned with jewelry, all raised on a lotus base with a thickly beaded edge.

Provenance: Hardt Auctions, Wuppertal, 23 April 2022, lot 299 (sold for EUR 4,600 or approx. EUR 5,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The collection of Kristen Tomassi and Axel Dieter Ball, Mallorca, Spain, acquired from the above. Kristen Tomassi, an architect and designer based in Mallorca, was married early in her life to Richard Branson, who was already rising to prominence with Virgin Records. Her enduring partnership was with German entrepreneur and architect Axel Dieter Ball (1942-2026), with whom she co-founded La Residencia in Deià in 1984. The hotel, a family-run haven celebrating art and music, helped shape the luxury hotel scene of Mallorca, where the couple spent most of their lives together until Axel sadly passed away this year. Together, they built an impressive collection of Himalayan art throughout the 1980s and 1990s, purchasing pieces from renowned dealers and auction houses including Rossi & Rossi, David Tremayne, Annapurna, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s. Objects formerly in their collection have been exhibited by the Museum of Asian Art, Hong Kong, and the Art Institute of Chicago, featuring also in the exhibition catalog by Pratapaditya Pal et al., Himalayas – An Aesthetic Adventure (2003).
Condition: Overall good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities, minor losses, light warping and few dents, small dings, minute nicks, minor old repairs. Good, naturally grown, dark patina.

Weight: 4.9 kg
Dimensions: Height 33.5 cm

This sculpture depicts the goddess Durga as her avatar, Mahishasuramardini, slaying the buffalo demon, Mahisha. Durga is a powerful manifestation of Parvati and, as such, appears on her own, rather than as a consort of Shiva. In the present example, the fierce sixteen-armed deity is shown in a triumphant pose as the slayer of Mahisha.

This commanding sculpture artfully combines the dynamic with the static. The goddess’s powerful stance and fan of eighteen arms are balanced by her otherwise delicate features and calm expression after having chopped off the bull’s head. The demonic demigod emerges from the animal’s body, whilst his vanquisher brandishes a kapala (skull-cup). Her diminutive lion mount roars menacingly at her right foot.

The narrative of the Hindu goddess Durga – assembling the weapons of all the gods and overcoming the demigod Mahisha, who endangered the order of the world – is shown here at the moment of her victory. The iconography represents the supreme expression of the power of this goddess, commonly referred to as ‘the Unassailable’ or ‘the Unconquerable’.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related copper alloy figure of Durga dated to the 17th century, 30.4 cm high, exhibited by Rosso & Rossi, London, and illustrated on their website.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Lempertz, Cologne, 8 December 2016, lot 16
Price: EUR 5,952 or approx. EUR 7,800 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Nepalese bronze figure of Durga Mahishasuramardini. 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and subject. Note the smaller size (18.7 cm).