Orient and Exotics Archivy - Antikelen

Bronze sculpture of a dancing woman playing the dholak drum

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:01:15 +0000

A typical example of traditional Indian craftsmanship. The figure depicts a female musician in a dynamic dancing pose with knees bent, while standing on a plinth decorated with an inverted lotus flower motif. The musical instrument hung around her neck is the dholak (or mridangam), a double-sided drum widely used in Indian folk and classical music.

India, beg. 20th century, bronze, h. 95 cm

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Scholar and poet Su Š’ on a mule

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:57:42 +0000

This motif depicts a famous scholar from the Sung Dynasty who was repeatedly exiled to distant regions due to political intrigues in the imperial court. He is typically depicted wearing a characteristic broad hat and reading a scroll while driving.The scene refers to his political exile to distant regions.

China, 2nd half of the 19th century, alloy, h. 85 cm, d. 75 cm

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Traditional Indian ritual vessel argha patra

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:54:00 +0000

It has a specific teardrop shape. In Hindu symbolism, this shape represents the yoni, the cosmic symbol of the feminine principle, the womb and the divine creative energy (Shakti). In the middle of the inner part of the bowl there is a small pointed protrusion - the lingam (phallic symbol of the god Shiva), which together expresses the unity and balance of the two cosmic principles. The vessel is used in religious ceremonies (puja) to pour over ritual objects or to hold sacred water.

India, beg. 20th century, bronze, 7 x 43 x 21 cm

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Statue of the ancient Egyptian god Horus in the form of a falcon

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:50:26 +0000

This decorative statuette represents one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt, the god of the sky, sun and light. The falcon is wearing a double royal crown pšent (pschent), which in Egyptian iconography symbolized the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the rule of one ruler.

Egypt, 19th century, stone, h. 19 cm

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Chinese bronze teapot in the shape of a gourd

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:47:39 +0000

In Chinese culture, the gourd (hulu) is a traditional symbol of good health, longevity, prosperity and protection from evil forces. She was often associated with Taoist immortals and medicine. The plastic relief depicts smaller gourd fruits and their climbing tendrils with leaves that intertwine and organically form the bowl's ear.

China, 18th century, bronze, h. 18 cm

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The Dancer of Mohenjodar

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:44:20 +0000

The statuette depicts a young woman standing in a confident pose with her hand on her hip. Her left arm is almost completely covered with wide bracelets.

Persia, Harappan culture, 18th century, bronze, h. 31 cm

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Bronze relief with courtiers, Benin

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 17:11:37 +0000

The bronze relief depicts a pair of high-ranking courtiers or guards standing in front of the architectural facade of the palace with three tower-like roofs. Figures with distinctive coral neckpieces (igbighan) and ceremonial loincloths with an intricate geometric pattern flank the central rectangular opening. At their feet, in the lower part of the relief, a three-dimensional leopard head with a typical dotted decor dominates.

Relief plaques (ama) from the Kingdom of Benin formed the visual program of the royal palace and celebrated the divine power of the monarch (oba). The presence of the leopard in the relief has a deep symbolic meaning - the leopard was considered the "king of the bush" in the Edo culture and was a direct ritual alter ego and symbol of the monarch himself who ruled the human world. The depicted courtiers demonstrate the strict hierarchy of palace life, where proximity to the monarch and his animal symbols of power determined social status and spiritual authority within the empire.

Nigeria, turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, bronze, mounted on a wooden board, board 75 x 50 cm, relief 61 x 40 cm

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Bronze relief, Benin

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 17:03:39 +0000

The bronze relief depicts a narrative scene taking place in front of the sacred residence of the Oba of Benin. The main part depicts several figures in dynamic poses with elaborate ritual clothing, coral neckerchiefs and headdresses. Among the figures are palace guards with ada swords, courtiers and servants performing ceremonial acts. The background of the relief is filled with delicate engraved plant decoration and a traditional river motif that refers to the deity Olokun.

The bronze plaques originally adorned the wooden pillars of the vast royal palace in Benin City. They served as a visual chronicle of the kingdom, recording historical battles, court ceremonies and the hierarchical structure of Edo society. The palace itself was seen as the center of the universe and the ritual center of the empire. This relief demonstrates the absolute secular and spiritual power of the Oba, his wealth and the importance of palace rituals that ensured the stability and prosperity of the entire Benin state.

Nigeria, late 18th and early 19th century, bronze, mounted on a wooden board, board 76 x 49 cm, relief 57 x 40 cm

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Bronze mask, Benin

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:54:01 +0000

The bronze helmet mask combines zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs in an elaborate vertical composition. The lower part consists of a stylized face mask with almond-shaped cut-out eye holes, a wide nose and exposed teeth. The rim of the face and the lower edge are fitted with functional cast rings for hanging textile or plant elements of the costume. The upper vault of the helmet is richly decorated with relief geometric circular motifs. The top of the mask is dominated by a fully three-dimensional sculpture of a horse, on which three stylized riders with characteristic tribal attributes and weapons sit.

Metal casting in the Kingdom of Benin (the area of present-day Nigeria) was one of the pinnacles of court art in West Africa. Bronze masks and sculptures served exclusively to celebrate the monarch (both) and the royal court. The motif of a horseman is a traditional symbol of high status, military power, prestige and wealth in Beninese art, as horses were a rare imported commodity from the northern Saharan regions. The mask was used in palace ceremonies, the worship of royal ancestors and rituals intended to demonstrate the spiritual and temporal sovereignty of the ruler over the entire empire.

Nigeria, 19th century, bronze, 55 x 25 x 35 cm

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Buddha, Thailand, 19th ct.

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:45:06 +0000

Thailand, 19th century, wood, polychromy, h. 59 cm

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