Prajnaparamita ("Perfection of Wisdom")

Object Details

• Provenance

  From at least 1967-1981

  Christian Humann, (1921-1981), Pan-Asian Collection, New York, NY [1]

  1981-1990

  Robert H. Ellsworth (1929-2014), New York, purchased after the death of Christian Humann [2]

  1990

  Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Sculpture form the Pan-Asian Collection, October 5, 1990, lot 127 (ill.): “A large Khmer Bronze Figure of the Goddess Prajnaparamita, Bayon style, circa 1200” [3]

  1990-2015

  Gilbert H. Kinney (1932-2020) and Ann Kinney, Washington, DC purchased from Sotheby’s, New York, October 5, 1990, lot 127 (ill.) [4]

  From 2015

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Gilbert H. Kinney and Ann Kinney [5]

  Notes:

  [1] Christian Humann (1929-1981), was a member of the investment banking family of Lazard Freres and a partner in the Wall Street firm of Tucker Anthony & R. L. Day, investment bankers, and assembled the Pan-Asian Collection from the 1950s through the 1970s. The sculpture was lent by Pan-Asian Collection to the Denver Museum of Art from 1967 to 1977 and to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from 1977 to 1982.

  In 1970, Hugo Munsterberg published this sculpture with illustration and listed it as part of a private collection in New York. See Hugo Munsterberg, Art of India and Southeast Asia (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1970), p. 233 (ill.). In 1977 about 160 works from Christian Humann’s collection, including this sculpture, were shown anonymously in the exhibition The Sensuous Immortals, curated by Pratapaditya Pal at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, see Pratapaditya Pal, The Sensous Immortals, A Selection of Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Collection, exh. cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 25, 1977-January 15, 1978), cat. no. 147B (ill.).

  [2] The New York-based collector and dealer, Robert H. Ellsworth (1929-2014) acquired Christian Humann’s collection after his death in 1981. See Sotheby’s, New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Sculpture form the Pan-Asian Collection, October 5, 1990, preface.

  [3] 136 objects including this object from the Pan-Asian Collection were auctioned by Sotheby’s, New York on October 5, 1990. See Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Sculpture form the Pan-Asian Collection, October 5, 1990, lot 127 (ill.).

  [4] Anne Kinney and Gilbert H. Kinney purchased this sculpture during the Sotheby’s, New York, auction on October 5, 1990. See receipt from Sotheby’s, New York to Gilbert H. Kinney, Washington, DC from October 5, 1990, copy in object file.

  [5] See Acquisition Consideration Form, object file.

  Research updated on November 17, 2021.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)

  Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia (October 14, 2017 to February 6, 2022)

  Art of the Gift: Recent Acquisitions (July 24 to December 13, 2015)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Christian Humann (1929-1981)

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014)

  Ann Kinney

  Gilbert H. Kinney (1931-2020)

• Origin

  Cambodia

• Credit Line

  Gift of Ann and Gilbert Kinney

• Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Sackler Gallery 22a: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1200s

• Name

  Humann, Christian, Ellsworth, Robert Hatfield, Kinney, Ann, Kinney, Gilbert H.

• Place

  Cambodia

• Topic

  Art, Tantra, Enlightenment, Gods, Southeast Asian Art, Angkor period (802 - 1431), Metal-work, Prajnaparamita

• Culture

  Buddhists, Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Yes