20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
38
A RARE SMALL PALA BRONZE FIGURE OF MARICI, BIHAR OR BENGAL, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY
depicted as a sow, accompanied by seven boar vahanas, on raised rectangular base, 4.3cm high
Provenance:
Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022); Samuel Eilenberg collection until 1980s; East Coast Private Collection, USA (until-c.1991); Maharukh Desai, Jermyn Street, London, sold to Robert Skelton 18 September 1992 (the invoice is sold with this lot).
For the same depiction of Marici as a sow on a Pala bronze (also formerly in the Samuel Eilenberg collection) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, see inv. no.1987.142.345. It is published in Lerner & Kossak 1991 (no.97, p.128). In the catalogue entry, Martin Lerner refers to another example in an East Coast private collection, which most likely refers to the bronze offered here. Four other examples are recorded: two were sold together in Christie's Amsterdam, 18 October 1995, lot 236, another was formerly in the collection of the late Simon Digby (Siudmak 2012, cat.9) and another was published more recently (Pal 2016, cat.166, fig.30).
Sold for £2,400
depicted as a sow, accompanied by seven boar vahanas, on raised rectangular base, 4.3cm high
Provenance:
Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022); Samuel Eilenberg collection until 1980s; East Coast Private Collection, USA (until-c.1991); Maharukh Desai, Jermyn Street, London, sold to Robert Skelton 18 September 1992 (the invoice is sold with this lot).
For the same depiction of Marici as a sow on a Pala bronze (also formerly in the Samuel Eilenberg collection) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, see inv. no.1987.142.345. It is published in Lerner & Kossak 1991 (no.97, p.128). In the catalogue entry, Martin Lerner refers to another example in an East Coast private collection, which most likely refers to the bronze offered here. Four other examples are recorded: two were sold together in Christie's Amsterdam, 18 October 1995, lot 236, another was formerly in the collection of the late Simon Digby (Siudmak 2012, cat.9) and another was published more recently (Pal 2016, cat.166, fig.30).
Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026
The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956). Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.
Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
Auction Location: London, UK
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
