SOUTH INDIA, 18th century - Lot 13

SOUTH INDIA, 18th century Statuette depicting a standing figure, hands clasped in the añjali mudrā gesture, a position of prayer and devotion. The figure features a simian head, marked musculature, belt, loincloth and engraved finery, as well as a bust apparently endowed with stylized breasts. The base is stepped, topped by a circular dome with concentric decoration. Two small rectangular holes are visible at the back of the base, probably intended for securing the statuette to an altar or votive set. Bronze with brown patina. Height Height : 19.5 cm Note: Although this figure evokes Hanumān, the monkey god of the Ramayana, the presence of a stylized breast could suggest a feminine or androgynous representation, or a local iconography specific to certain South Indian sanctuaries. The style, the treatment of the base and the attitude of veneration point to a Tamil or Kannadiga origin. The añjali mudrā is here a strong marker of piety, common in South Indian devotional processions.