A VERY RARE COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAYAJALA MANJUSHRI (NAMASANGITI), NEPAL, 16TH-17TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A VERY RARE COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAYAJALA MANJUSHRI (NAMASANGITI), NEPAL, 16TH-17TH CENTURY Finely cast seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus base, his principal hands raised before the chest in an open vyakarana mudra, the gesture of exposition. A second pair forms tarpana mudra, the fingertips meeting in the gesture of sprinkling amrita into the bowl supported in his lap by a third pair in samadhi mudra. Two further pairs extend to either side, holding a sword, manuscript, bow, and arrow, while the uppermost hands are joined above the crown in vajrachakra mudra. Richly adorned with beaded necklaces, bracelets, and foliate armlets, the deity wears a dhoti finely incised with scrolling designs. The serene face is modeled with downcast eyes beneath arched brows, an oval urna, and full lips, framed by large circular floral earrings and surmounted by an elaborate foliate crown. The base is sealed with a copper plate finely incised with a double vajra. Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm Manjushri Namasangiti is a principal deity of the Newari Buddhist tradition of the Kathmandu Valley, conceived as the spiritual progenitor of all Tathagatas and the entire Buddhist cosmos. This distinctive twelve-armed form is also known as Mayajala Manjushri, with Mayajala meaning Net of (Magical) Illusion, referencing the Net of Indra (see Jeff Watt, “Buddhist Deity: Manjushri, Mayajala Tantra”, Himalayan Art Resources, last updated June 2025). This representation of Manjushri is extremely rare and only known in Nepal, with no more than a handful of examples known and published, including a highly celebrated earlier example from the Maitri Collection sold at Bonhams New York, 20 March 2018, lot 3208. The six pairs of arms signify the Five Buddha Families and Vajrasattva, combining mudras and attributes associated with wisdom, teaching, meditation, and ritual offering. The deity’s enduring importance in Newar Buddhism is reflected in the daily recitation of the Namasangiti text in the Valley’s monasteries. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Nepalese bronze figure of Manjushri Mayajala, dated to the 16th century, formerly in the collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth and illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item number 35945. Compare a closely related Nepalese gilt-bronze figure of Manjushri Mayajala, dated to the 16th century, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item number 202977. Compare a related earlier figure of Namasangiti, dated to the 14th century, 7 cm high, illustrated by Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 356, no. 94A. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2019, lot 934 Price: USD 21,325 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, and manner of casting, with the same twelve-armed iconography and similar lotus pedestal. Note the much smaller size (7 cm).

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