A LAPIS-INLAID GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A ROYAL DONOR, NEPAL, LATE MALLA PERIOD, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

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A LAPIS-INLAID GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A ROYAL DONOR, NEPAL, LATE MALLA PERIOD, EARLY 17TH CENTURY Expert’s Note The present figure represents a high-ranking male donor standing in perpetual devotion with his hands joined in anjali. The exceptional scale and extraordinary weight of the present figure—32 cm high and 4.7 kg—together with its costly fire-gilding and original lapis-inlaid upper-arm armlet, indicate a commission of considerable importance. The sitter’s courtly attire and sumptuous ornament also suggest an individual of exceptionally high rank, conceivably a member of the Malla court. His comparatively conservative costume predates the fully developed Rajput-Mughal fashions that became established at the Nepalese courts during the 17th century and, together with the powerful modeling, supports a dating to the early 17th century, circa 1600–1620. Finely cast, the royal donor standing erect upon a small rectangular base, the hands joined before the chest in anjali mudra in a gesture of reverence and devotion. He is clad in a short flaring tunic over fitted trousers and secured at the waist by a broad sash, a rock crystal and lapis lazuli inlaid armband to one bicep, the otherwise modest costume emphasizing the slender proportions of the figure. The serene face is marked by large almond-shaped eyes beneath gently arched brows, a straight nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, the head surmounted by a simple close-fitting cap. Dimensions: Height 32 cm The representation of donors has deep roots in Indian religious art, where patrons were initially commemorated through dedicatory inscriptions recording their gifts and the merit thereby acquired. From at least the last centuries BC, donors, including royal patrons, also began to appear pictorially in Buddhist monuments, often shown in attitudes of reverence. This tradition was transmitted from northern India to the Kathmandu Valley during the Licchavi period (ca. 400–750), when Nepalese art was profoundly influenced by Gupta India. Donor portraits subsequently became an enduring feature of Nepalese religious art, commemorating the individuals and families who financed temples, shrines, sacred images, and other religious foundations. Donor portraits like the present lot can be found at several important temples in Nepal, such as the great Vaishnava temple of Changu Narayan (fig. 1), located on a hilltop of Changu (Dolagiri) in the eastern Kathmandu Valley; and Kwa Baha, The Golden Temple of Nepal (fig. 2), situated in Patan. Literature comparison: Compare a related Nepalese gilt-copper alloy figure of a lamp bearer, “Presumed Portrait of a Nobleman”, dated by inscription to 1698, 25.4 cm tall, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2020.288.1. Compare a related sculpture of Prince Ranajit Malla of Bhaktapur, dated to the 18th century, in the National Museum of Nepal. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 2015, lot 46 Price: USD 60,000 or approx. EUR 73,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject. Note the well-preserved gilding, the much smaller size (14.5 cm), and that this lot also shows a single, standing male donor statue.

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