AN INDIAN BLACK STONE STELE DEPICTING UMA-MAHESHVARA, PALA PERIODNorthern India, 12th century. The divine couple seated in lalitasana on a lotus pedestal, each with one foot supported on a lotus footrest, Shiva's primary right hand touching his consort's chin affectionately, his primary left hand around her back and cupping her breast, one of his upper hands holding a lotus.Provenance: From an ancient French private collection. Condition: Good condition commensurate with age, extensive old wear, losses, soil encrustations, small nicks and scratches.Weight: 11 kg Dimensions: Size 45 x 23 cmUma with one arm draped around Shiva's shoulders, her left hand holding a mirror, their mounts, the Nandi bull and the lion, couchant below the throne, along with two female figures praying and an emaciated figure dancing. Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Uma, can be seen on a lotus throne in the upper left corner above Shiva's head.Uma-Maheshvara represents the sacred embrace, alingana, of the Lord Shiva joined with the Goddess Uma. The Great Ascetic, Lord Shiva, who was overcome with the beauty of Uma, Daughter of the Mountain, succumbed to their union for the benefit of his devotees (S. Kramrisch, Manifestations of Shiva, Philadelphia, 1981, p. 57). Their union is principally metaphysical, though during the Pala period, Shiva and Uma's relationship can be most immediately observed through their corporeal interplay. It is through their sensual relationship that they are meant to become a gateway for the devotee to enter their sacred realm.Here, the divine couple is featured in the moment before their union, the anticipation of which accentuates the possibility of entering the divine realm. This expectancy is what creates a feeling of activity, carried throughout the piece in the swaying movement of the surrounding figures and swirling foliate carvings throughout.Literature comparison: A related but earlier stone stele depicting Uma Maheshvara is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1978.541.Auction result comparison: For a related black stone stele, showing a similar fragmentation as the present piece, see Christie's New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 18 September 2013, lot 231, sold for USD 27,500. For a related black stone stele with a nearly identical depiction, better preserved as the present piece, see Sotheby's New York, Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 22 September 2020, lot 351, sold for USD 94,500.