15th century southern Indian bronze of the goddess Lakshmi – €110,000 (£92,440) at Lempertz.
Like many of the sought-after pieces, the 2ft 4in (65cm) high figure of the goddess Lakshmi came from the collection of the German doctor Ludwig Jansen, who began collecting works of art in the early 1970s. His particular focus were sculptures from India and other parts of south-east Asia.
The number of international bidders keen to join in showed that Jansen was a canny collector. On numerous occasions, they pushed the prices far beyond the guides.
The figure of Lakshmi, one of the principal deities of Hinduism and consort of Vishnu, was expected to bring €20,000 but the fierce competition drove the price to €110,000 (£92,440) at the auction on June 11.
It was cast in Tamil Nadu and showed the goddess, who was the symbol for prosperity, power, beauty and fertility, standing on a lotus flower with her right hand raised in the so-called lolahastapose, often found on figures from this region.
The 3ft 1in (95cm) high stone stele of Parshvanatha, carved in the 9th or 10th century, most probably in the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh (previewed in ATG No 2546), also proved to be popular. With a hammer price of €42,000 (£35,295) it more than quadrupled the lower estimate.
