A RICHLY GILT AND INSCRIBED BRONZE FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA AND VAJRAYOGINI, NEPAL, DATED 1863

拍品描述

A RICHLY GILT AND INSCRIBED BRONZE FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA AND VAJRAYOGINI, NEPAL, DATED 1863 Finely cast seated on a double-lotus throne over a stepped openwork base supported by lions, raised on further lotus petals and foliate lappets. Chakrasamvara holds a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left, gazing down to his consort Vajrayogini, seated with her arms around his neck holding a skull cup and a curved knife. Both are adorned with elaborate tiaras and backed by an interlocked flaming nimbus and aureole. The back of the lotus throne is incised with a short Nepalese inscription, above a longer inscription on the base. Inscriptions: To the reverse of the base, ‘On the 15th of the dark half of Jesta in the year 983 [corresponding to 1863], this image was made in the name of the deceased Sri Jaya Nalasimha and his son—by his son Sidya Nala Simha and family. On the 13th of the bright half of Thila 984 the image was consecrated.’ Dimensions: Height 27.2 cm This powerful image of Chakrasamvara embracing his consort Vajrayogini condenses into sculptural form one of Vajrayana Buddhism’s most charged visualizations. Their union represents not ordinary passion, but its transformation into awakening: Vajrayogini embodies transcendent wisdom and the realization of emptiness, while Chakrasamvara embodies compassionate method. Their embrace thus expresses the indivisibility of wisdom and compassion and, ultimately, of bliss and emptiness. His Tibetan name, Demchok, ‘Supreme Bliss,’ points to precisely this awakened state, cultivated by initiated practitioners through tantric meditation. Literature comparison: Compare a related figure of Manjushri with consort, Nepal, dated to the 19th century, 30.5 cm high, in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, object number 1996.28.a-.b. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Paris, 10 December 2014, lot 51 Price: EUR 35,000 or approx. EUR 43,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, gilding, and subject, with similar elaborate tiered throne. Note the size (32 cm) and that this figure also shows an inscription on the reverse.

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