A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI, TIBET, 13TH-14TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI, TIBET, 13TH-14TH CENTURY Expert’s note: The present figure reflects the enduring influence of northeastern Indian Pala-period bronze imagery on Tibetan sculpture of the 13th and 14th centuries. Following the Chidar (or Second Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet), Tibetan sculptors developed a visual vocabulary distinguished by elegant proportions, refined ornament, and richly articulated surfaces. Particularly characteristic here are the cold-painted face and blue-painted hair, features that heighten the image’s sacred presence while continuing established Indo-Tibetan consecratory practices. The finely punched stylized foliate blossoms decorating the dhoti further recall the sophisticated textile patterns and ornamental precision associated with Pala metalwork. Rather than representing a direct copy of an Indian prototype, however, the sculpture demonstrates the selective assimilation of northeastern Indian conventions into a distinctly Tibetan idiom, combining Pala-inspired refinement with the more robust modeling and devotional intensity characteristic of Tibetan bronze sculpture during this period. For two Pala bronzes with punched decoration and cold painted features, see a figure of Maitreya, dated circa 12th century, 13.8 cm high, at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 December 2023, lot 1854, mid-estimate HKD 800,000 or approx. EUR 95,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing); and figure of Vajrapani, attributed to Northeastern India or Tibet and dated 12th-13th century, 19.7 cm high, at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2023, lot 302, sold for USD 18,900 or approx. EUR 18,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Finely cast standing in samabhanga on a lotus base with beaded rims, both hands in front of his breast in vitarka mudra and holding slender stems of lotus flowers that rise to the shoulders where one supports a sword, the other a manuscript. The slender figure variously adorned with beaded jewelry and wearing a diaphanous dhoti punched with stylized foliate blossoms, and a celestial scarf draped around the shoulders and arms, its ends cascading gracefully to the ankles. The cold-painted face with a benign expression, heavy-lidded eyes, a slender nose, and gently pursed lips forming a gentle smile, flanked by ears with pendulous lobes, and crowned by a three-point tiara that surrounds the tall blue chignon. Dimensions: Height 14.9 cm Manjushri (‘Beautiful Glory’) is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. He is the patron deity of the Newar Buddhists and is credited with the creation of the Kathmandu Valley. According to the local narrative, the Valley was originally a great lake, and Manjushri used his sword of wisdom to cut a cleft in the mountains that contained the lake. With the lake thus drained, he created the Valley, making it habitable for all sentient beings. Manjushri is envisioned in at least fourteen iconographic forms per religious textual sources. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Koller, Zurich, 23 September 2006, lot 106 Price: CHF 18,000 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar dhoti, jewelry, and notched medallion at the knee. Note the size (18.3 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 March 2014, lot 12 Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar dhoti, jewelry, and notched medallion at the knee. Note the similar size (16.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 13 September 2016, lot 201 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of casting with similar base. Note the similar size (13.3 cm) and the gilt.

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