Pair of lamps of fortune (dipalakshmi) oil lamps

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At A Glance

Period

17th century
Geography

Tamil Nadu state, India
Material

Bronze
Dimension

H x W x D (each): 86.4 x 27.9 x 27.9 cm (34 x 11 x 11 in)
Accession Number

S2000.9.1-2
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_S2000.9.1-2

Object Details

Description

S2000.9.1: Bronze sculpture of male figure, mustachioed, leaning on proper left hip, with protruding belly. Hands outstretched in front holding oil basin. On square base topped by round pedestal upon which figure stands.

S2000.9.2: Bronze sculpture of female figure with long hair braid down back and ankle-length robe, leaning on proper left hip. Hands outstretched in front holding oil basin. On square base topped by round pedestal upon which figure stands.
Provenance

?-possibly 1970 or 1971

Oriental Art Gallery, London, England, method of acquisition unknown [1]

Possibly 1970 or 1971-?

Unidentified collection, London, England, method of acquisition unknown [2]

?-2000

Kapoor Galleries, Inc., New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [3]

From 2000

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from Kapoor Galleries, Inc. [4]

Notes:

[1] According the “Curatorial Justification,” undated (ca. 2000), the bronzes “were in the Oriental Art Gallery in London, which closed down in 1970 or 71. They have been in a London collection since, and have just reappeared on the market.” See copy in object file.

Oriental Art Gallery was a dealer in London, England which closed around 1970 or 1971.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The objects were transferred from the Kapoor Galleries, Inc., to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for examination on December 13, 1999. See “Incoming Receipt,” dated December 13, 1999, copy in object file. See also Kapoor Galleries, Inc., invoice issued by Suneet Kapoor on December 10, 1999, copy in object file. The objects are described as “(Pair) Deepa Laxmi, Oil Lamps. Bronze, Naik Period, ca. 17th-18th century.”

Kapoor Galleries, Inc., is a dealer in New York, NY, founded in 1975 by Ramesh Kapoor and Urmil Kapoor and later joined by Ramesh's son, Suneet Kapoor. Kapoor Galleries, Inc., specializes in art from India and the Himalayas, specifically bronzes, sculptures, miniatures, and thangkas. Clients of Kapoor Galleries, Inc., have included private collectors and institutions. The gallery has exhibited at art fairs including Asia Week in New York. Ramesh Kapoor's has been active as an art dealer since 1958.

[4] See “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on April 18, 2000, copy in object file.

Research updated May 8, 2024
Collection

National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Exhibition History

Gods, Companions, and Devotees (October 14, 2017 to March 13, 2020)

Facing East: Portraits from Asia (July 1 to September 4, 2006)

The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South India (November 10, 2002 to March 9, 2003)
Previous custodian or owner

Oriental Art Gallery (active purportedly until 1970-1971)

Kapoor Galleries, Inc. (established 1975)
Origin

Tamil Nadu state, India
Credit Line

Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds
Type

Sculpture
Restrictions and Rights

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