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Christophe Hioco

Lady and hand
Bangladesh
Gupta Period (Circa 5th century)
terracotta
18 1/4 inches

This fragment portrays a female figure who turns towards a hand on her right. The hand touches her right cheek, suggesting the emotional relationship between the now missing deity and the lady. The lack of attributes makes identification of the lady impossible, but her importance is exemplified by her rich coiffure and jewellery, as well as the gesture of argumentation she makes with her right hand.

The lady’s posture, her right hand poised in vitarkamudra, suggests she has been arrested in mid-gesture, perhaps distracted by the large hand that tenderly reaches out to caress her face. Her open, almond-shaped eyes with engraved pupils, her pronounced and finely arched eyebrows, and her softly smiling mouth with its full bottom lip produce a thoughtful expression. Her hair is arranged in curls that cluster over each temple and spill over a headband ornamented with an open lotus flower, while longer locks fall to her shoulders. Her breasts are full and rounded, and she is adorned with earrings, a pearl necklace, and bracelets. The fragment of an oval lotus nimbus emphasizes the spiritual radiance that emanated from the now lost divinity.

all text, images © Christophe Hioco

 

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