Apsaras are celestial beings, often referred to as nymphs, they appear in the Mahabharata epic.
At first glance, an Apsara figure could be mistaken for a Legong dancer, both bear a resemblance to each other when looking at the wings. But if you look closely at the wings you will see that an Apsara does not hold the wings with their hands, they are an integral part of their body.
This carving comes from an estate, the age is unfortunately no longer known. However, based on the design, I suspect the figure was made sometime around the 1940s, a little sooner or later.
Unfortunately, the seller accidentally broke off a wing tip before the carving was shipped. With such a special collector's item, that's a shame. For this reason the photo only shows one side of the figure, I have yet to commission a restoration.
Nonetheless, I am very fortunate to have such a beautiful and rare carving of an Apsara.