Lot 55: Svetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich (Russian, 1904-1993) Tibetan costume, 1923

Tibetan costume, 1923
signed with monogram and dated '23' (lower right)
pencil, gouache and watercolour on card
59.5 x 41cm (23 7/16 x 16 1/8in).

PROVENANCE:
Roerich Museum, 1928-1935
Collection of Louis and Nettie Horch, New York
Acquired from above by the family of the present owner, c. 1970s
Thence by descent

The present work was executed in 1923 in France where Svetoslav Roerich was spending the summer working on costume designs for the American dancer Ruth Page. His experience with theatre design and stage costumes inspired the artist to create an entire series of works depicting exotic national costumes from far-away lands: Indian, Turkish, Greek and Tibetan among others. Roerich studied the period costume drawings in the museums and libraries of France and after working at the Musée Guimet in Paris, the artist created 'Persian costume', and his research at the Musée Rodin resulted in the creation of 'Eastern Headpiece'. In the middle of June 1923, Roerich moved to Vichy in the French Alps, where he spent the summer concentrating on a series of 30 large-scale sketches of the stage costumes. It was there that the artist drew the present work. In one of his letters addressed to Ruth Page, Roerich noted that this costume design was done in 'old Tibetan style' and enriched with 'imaginative details'.

It is clear that the artist was strongly influenced by the bronze sculptures of India and Tibet which he saw at the French museums. The costume of the Tibetan dancer includes complex elements and details typically present in the traditional sculptural modelling of the Buddhist deities. Roerich's later works painted in India and inspired by contemporary local costumes, in comparison, were much more simple and restrained in their décor than the present work. This early series depicting costumes traditionally used in the ceremonial dances and rituals of the Central Asian, Indian and Tibetan people is of special significance in Roerich's artistic evolution, and the present work is one it its magnificent examples.

?????? ?????? «????????? ??????» ????????? ? ???? 1923, ??????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ?? ???????, ??? ??? ? ???? ????????. ????????, ????????? ?? ??????? ? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????????, ????????????? ?? ??????. ? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????????? ?????????, ???????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ????? (Ruth Page). ??????? ? ?????? ?????? ??? ? ??????? ???????? ??????? ????, ? ????????, ??????????? ? ?????????. ?? ??????? ????? ????? ????? – ?????????, ????????, ????????, ????????? ??????? ? ??.
???????? ??? ????????? ???????? ????????? ????? ?????? ? ????????? ??????. ???, ????? ????????? ????? ???? ??? ??????? «?????????? ??????», ? ????? ????? ?????? – «????????? ???????? ????». ? ??????? ???? 1923 ???????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??????????? ??????, ? ????, ??? ?? ??????? ? ??????? ??????????????. ??? ???? ???????? 30 ??????? ??????? ???????????? ????????. ?????? ? ???? ?????????? «????????? ??????». ????????? ????? ????? ? ????? ?????? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ?????? ????????? ? «?????? ????????? ?????» ? ????????????????? «??????????????? ??????????».
?????????? ????????, ?? ???????? ??????? «?????????? ???????» ??????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ??????????, ??????? ???????? ?????? ? ???????? ????????. ?????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????? ????????, ????? ????? ?????? ? ????????? ?????????? ???????. ???????????? ??????, ?????????? ? ????? ?? ??????? ?????????, ????????? ????? ???????? ? ??????????. ???????????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ??????, ??????? ?? ?? ??????? ? ??????????? ? ?????, ????????? ????? ????????? ????????, ????????????????? ?? ???????? ??????, ??????? ???????????? ? ?????????????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ????. ?????? «????????? ??????» ? ??????? ???????????? ????????? ? ????????? ?????.

Dr. Vladimir Rosov,
State Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow