Lot 331: A PAIR OF INDIAN TERRACOTTA RELIEF FRAGMENTS, SHUNGA OR KUSHAN PERIOD, 1ST – 3RD CENTURY A.D

A pair of reassembled terracotta relief plaques from Ancient India, dating to the Shunga or early Kushan period. The first fragment depicts a female figure, identified by her iconography as a Yakshi or fertility deity. She stands in a slight tribhanga pose, wearing a complex headdress, heavy disc-shaped earrings, multiple necklaces, thick bangles, and a prominent multi-strand beaded hip belt known as a mekhala. To her right is a decorative pillar featuring a bulbous pot-shaped capital with floral motifs and a shaft with geometric decoration. This fragment is composed of a reddish-orange fired clay. The second fragment depicts a male figure, possibly a donor or deity, with hands joined in the anjali mudra prayer gesture. He is dressed in an ornate turban and heavy jewellery, positioned beneath an architectural lintel featuring a repeating geometric pattern of stepped triangles. This fragment is composed of a lighter, buff-coloured terracotta. The style of both pieces, particularly the heavy ornamentation and rounded facial features, is consistent with regional art from sites such as Chandraketugarh.