INDIA, MEDIEVAL PERIOD, 10th-12th century - Lot 41

INDIA, MEDIEVAL PERIOD, 10th-12th century Ornamental relief carving of a standing male figure flanked by two stylized elephants. The figure, adorned with a necklace and dressed in a loincloth, adopts a characteristic tribhanga posture. He holds an object in his right hand. To his right, an elephant raises its head, its trunk grasped by an isolated hand, probably divine. A second elephant head dominates the scene. Carved sandstone, weathered and patinated. A few chips and missing pieces. Height 31 cm. Width : 13.5 cm. Depth : 14 cm. Provenance : private collection, French ; former Millon sale, Paris The posture of the figure, with one foot pointing sideways, and the stylized facial features evoke the workshops of central India during the Paramara or Chandela dynasties. The object held in the hand could be a fruit or a votive offering. The figure could embody a yaksha (protective genie) or a devotee in a ritual setting. The upright elephant, its trunk grasped by a divine hand, evokes symbols of controlled strength and adoration. The double presence of the elephants, in relief and in the round, testifies to a complex iconographic arrangement, typical of Jain or Hindu sanctuaries. This sculpture was probably intended to decorate a peripheral space of the sanctuary, without constituting an architectural element.