A BRONZE FIGURE OF DATTATREYA, NAYAKA PERIOD South India, Tamil Nadu, 17^th-18^th century. Heavily cast as a three headed deity, standing on a round pedestal above a square base with a beaded rim, the lower hands holding attributes including prayer beads, while the upper hands show the prana mudra. Finely dressed in a dhoti and adorned with fine jewelry, the heads surmounted by an elaborate conical headdress.

Provenance: From a noted French private collection. Acquired in the auction market in Brussels, Belgium.
Condition: Very good condition with some old wear and casting irregularities, few nicks here and there, and light scratches. Solid patina.

Weight: 4,216 g
Dimensions: Height 29.4 cm

Dattatreya is an avatar of the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Typically, the designations are that of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.

The Nayaka dynasties emerged during the Kakatiya dynasty and the Vijayanagara Empire period. The Nayakas were originally military governors under the Vijayanagara Empire. After the battle of Talikota, several of them declared themselves independent.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 17 March 2021, lot 431
Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 27,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large bronze figure of Shiva, South India, Tamil Nadu, nayaka period, 17th-18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, face, headdress, and color of the bronze. Note the size (40.5 cm).