A GOLD-INLAID SILVER PORTRAIT FIGURE OF A LAMA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A GOLD-INLAID SILVER PORTRAIT FIGURE OF A LAMA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY Expert’s note The distinction of the present sculpture lies in its accomplished modeling and extensive gold inlay. Fine gold lines trace the textile patterns across the deeply folded robes, continuing over the back and around the cushions beneath the figure. The warm ornament stands out against the darker silver, lending exceptional clarity to the richly varied decoration. Particularly expressive are the slender, carefully articulated fingers and the composed face, whose sharply defined features give the portrait a compelling individuality. Tibetan-Chinese. Finely cast seated cross-legged on two rectangular cushions, his right hand raised before the chest in vitarka mudra and his left resting palm upward in his lap. His layered monastic robes leave the right arm exposed and fall in deep, sweeping folds across the legs, their borders curling over the seat. The garments are richly inlaid in gold with stylized cloud scrolls, foliate motifs, and geometric borders, with a honeycomb pattern across the upper back. The shaven head is finely modeled with arched brows, narrow eyes, a long nose, and firmly closed lips, framed by prominent ears with elongated lobes. The cushions are decorated with repeated four-petaled motifs and key-fret borders along the sides. The underside is sealed, with a red coating centered by an incised double vajra emblem. Dimensions: Height 10.5 cm Literature comparison: Compare a related gilt-bronze figure of the Second Panchen Lama, Losang Yeshe Pelzangpo, dated to the 18th century, 9.2 cm high, illustrated by Donald Dinwiddie, Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages, 2003, no. 91. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Hannam’s Selborne, 23 January 2015, lot 56 Price: GBP 7,800 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: This figure came from a German private collection and had been purchased in India in 1962. Compare the closely related modeling and subject with similar pose, gesture, and robes. Note the larger size (25.4 cm) and different material. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2008, lot 654 Price: USD 10,625 or approx. EUR 14,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and related modeling and manner of casting. Note the similar size (10.2 cm) albeit lacking the base of the present lot.

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