A BUST OF DURGA, 8TH CENTURYExtremely rare post Gupta steatite bust, eastern India, 8th-9th century. The sedimentary stone with a superb, natural grown patina of even ochre tone with incredibly fine detail carving.Provenance: A British private estate. Sold via Matthew Barton LTD, London, and thereafter in a Hungarian private collection.Condition: Losses as seen on the picture. Very tiny nicks here and there, extensive wear. Overall beautiful and well-presentable condition, especially given the high age and the softness of the material. Only few steatite statues from this period are remaining in existence in a comparable condition.Weight: 66.3 grams.Dimensions: Height 8.2 cm.The smooth steatite from Eastern India and Burma was a favored medium for some of the most exquisite small-scale sculptures ever seen in the region. The rounded features and voluptuous treatment of the female form are typical of the post-Gupta style, predating the Pala period.Compare with a steatite Buddha relief of related size, but from the Pala period, at Sotheby’s New York in ‘Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Work of Art’, March 16th, 2016, lot 701.