An alabaster sculpture of Hanuman, India, 19th Century.
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Depicted carrying a gada (club) and a mountain standing on top of a figure. Painted and gilded. Height 41 cm.
Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Danish Archaeologist, Ethnographer, Art Collector and Museum Director Werner Jacobsen (1914-79). For more information, see below.
Wear.
Provenance
Formerly in the collection of Danish Archaeologist, Ethnographer, Art Collector and Museum Director Werner Jacobsen (1914-79). Jacobsen studied archeology and participated 1938-39 in the Danish Royal Geografic Societys Expedition to Mongolia under the lead of Henning Haslund-Christensens.
During the years 1946-59 he lived in India and Nepal and acquired many pieces for National Museum in Denmark, The Royal Library, the Moesgård Museum and himself. He set up a scientific center in Kathmandu, Nepal and later in Denmark where he organized all the material and information he had gathered.
In 1940-45 he was employed the Danish National Museum, in 1961 he became Museum Director for the Etnografic Collection. 1963-78 he was the head of the information and educational Department at the Museum. The collection was acquired from Werner Jacobsen as a whole when he sold it to gather funds for new expeditions. Thence by descent to the present owner.
Literature
Werner Jacobsen published various literary and academic works such as; Bronzer fra Mongoliet, Köpenhamn, 1940, Some Observations on the Origin of Sino-sibirian Animal Bronzes, Köpenhamn 1941, Buddhsitisk Skulptur I Kina, Köpenhamn, 1941, Kabuki, det Japanska folks teater, Köpenhamn 1941, Todaerne, - en idisk bjergstamme, Köpenhamn 1949, Maleri fra Puri, Orissa, Indien, Köpenhamn 1961, Thailand, Arkeologi og Kunst, Köpenhamn 1961. Originale Bloktryk fra Nepal, Köpehamn, 1966, Asiatiske Akkorder, Köpenhamn 1965, Buddha og det modern menneske, Köpenhamn, 1970, Kunsten, kunstneren og inderen, Köpenhamn, 1970, Den hvide mans byrde, Köpenhamn, 1970, Hvad er den egentlige virkelighed, Köpenhamn, 1976, Den hvide gud, Köpenhamn, 1973.
More information
Hanuman, whose image is in the form of a monkey, is particularly associated with the Ramayana, the story of Rama and Sita.
In the story, Sita, Rama's wife, is kidnapped by the evil, ten-headed demon Ravana who carries her off to his fortress in the island of Lanka. At great risk to his own safety, Hanuman finds Sita and then returns to help Rama build a bridge over to the island to rescue Sita.
During the ensuing battle, Rama's brother Lakshmana was fatally wounded. Hanuman was sent to fetch healing herbs which grew on a particular mountain. Unable to identify the herbs, he uprooted the whole mountain and brought it back to the site of the battle thus saving Lakshmana's life. Images of Hanuman often show him holding the mountain in his hand.
