Six charming, small and extremely finely carved Indian figures made of old, naturally darkened ivory. All figures except one rest on ivory plinths. The figures represent the following:
1: A sitting Maharajah with a large turban and ornaments.
2: A music-making ‘Balakrishna’, that is, the Hindu god Krishna as a child, playing with a butter ball.
3: The Hindu goddess Lakshmi, wife of the god Vishnu, and herself the goddess of good fortune, love, prosperity, health and beauty. The present miniature sculpture depicts the goddess in a sitting position. She wear a crown and long hair. In her left hand she holds a vessel containing the ‘elixir of eternal life’ (Amrita), whilst stretching her right hand forward in the ‘gesture of giving’.
4: A wandering monk and preacher in a standing position, with fur loincloth and stick (here lost), and with a bag over his left shoulder.
5: Two sitting ascetics with turban and in typical meditation pose (Dhyanamudra). Between the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; H: 3 cm to 5.2 cm.

Provenance: The consignor of the six miniature ivory carvings received all six pieces from her Indian mother-in-law as a wedding gift. According to the consignor, they all came from the family’s estate, to which they belonged for many generations. Currently: German Private Collection. (ME) ASA