A RARE AND EARLY BRONZE FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYA, WESTERN TIBET, 13TH-14TH CENTURY

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A RARE AND EARLY BRONZE FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYA, WESTERN TIBET, 13TH-14TH CENTURY Expert’s note Akshobhya can be difficult to distinguish from Shakyamuni when represented independently, as both may display the bhumisparsha mudra. The combination of the earth-touching gesture with a crown and princely ornaments, however, identifies the present figure as Akshobhya in his adorned form. Early independent representations of Akshobhya are quite rare, particularly in the sculptural tradition of Western Tibet. This scarcity does not reflect a lack of religious importance: as one of the Five Transcendental Buddhas, Akshobhya occupied a fundamental position in early Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. Rather, comparatively few independent images from the 13th and 14th centuries have survived. The present figure is therefore a rare testament to the formative period of Western Tibetan Buddhist sculpture, when inherited Kashmiri and North Indian traditions were being transformed into an increasingly distinct Tibetan visual language. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra and his left held above the lap, clad in a diaphanous dhoti with neatly incised hems and richly adorned with beaded jewelry and a billowing scarf cast with supporting rods. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes beneath elegantly arched, finely incised brows, his full lips forming a gentle smile, flanked by ears adorned with large pierced circular earrings. The hair is neatly arranged in a tall chignon and secured with a five-paneled foliate tiara. Dimensions: Height 17.6 cm Bhumisparsha mudra, the ‘earth-touching’ or ‘earth-witness’ gesture, is most famously associated with Buddha Shakyamuni and is also characteristic of the Dhyani Buddha Akshobhya. While Shakyamuni is conventionally represented in the simple robes of a monk, Akshobhya may appear in the richly adorned form of a crowned Buddha. The crown and ornaments of the present figure, together with the earth-touching gesture, therefore identify the deity as Akshobhya. The name Akshobhya literally means ‘Immovable One’. His gesture recalls Shakyamuni’s unwavering resolve in resisting the armies and temptations of Mara immediately before attaining enlightenment. Akshobhya is one of the Five Transcendental Buddhas and is traditionally associated with the eastern direction and the vajra family, embodying the transformation of anger into mirror-like wisdom. In certain later tantric systems, particularly those of the Anuttarayoga tantras, he may instead occupy the center of the mandala. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Paris, 14 June 2022, lot 35 Price: EUR 17,850 or approx. EUR 20,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling, with similar scarf cast with supporting rods and lotus base with broad flat petals. Note the size (23.2 cm).

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