A WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF GANESHA, HINDU SHAHI, AFGHANISTAN, 822-1026Finely carved, the coiled trunk raised toward the mouth as he has just sampled a sweet from the bowl held in his right hand, the face with almond-shaped eyes below elegantly arched and raised brows centered by an urna, the hair secured by a beaded headband.Provenance: Dr. René Schroeder, Luxembourg, 1973. Yvette Starck, Luxembourg, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A Belgian private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Dr. René Schroeder, dated 10 September 1973 and addressed to Yvette Starck, apanies this lot.Condition: Good condition,mensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, structural cracks, minor old repairs and fills, encrustations.Weight: 17.3 kg (incl. stand)Dimensions: Height 39 cm (excl. stand) and 45 cm (incl. stand)Mounted on an associated stand. (2)The Hindu Shahis (822-1026) were a dynasty that held sway over the Kabul Valley, Gandhara, and western Punjab during the early medieval period in the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty was established after the overthrow of the Turk Shahis. Shaivism was practiced by the Hindu Shahis and likely was also the predominant religion. Saura was practiced by some subjects, as were Buddhism and Islam. Scholar on the Hindu Shahis remains scarce and details regarding past rulers can only be assembled from disparate chronicles, coins, and stone inscriptions.Literatureparison:Compare a related marble figure of Ganesha, 22.6 cm high, attributed to Pakistan or Afghanistan and dated to the Shahi period, 7th-8th century, in the Art Institute of Chicago, reference number 2012.689.pare the related manner of carving of a Hindu Shahi white marble linga, with similar eyes and brows, dated 9th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1980.415. A related white marble figure of Ganesha, 47.5 cm high, attributed to the Hindu Shahi or post-Gupta period, Punjab Hills, dated mid-9th century, was exhibited at Asian Art in London by Joost Van den Bergh in Objects of Veneration: Sculpture & Paintings from Gandhara, Burma, Khmer, Ceylon, India & Tibet, 5-14 November 2015.