A MASSIVE AND LARGE (86 CM) BRONZE FIGURE OF DAMO (BODHIDARMA), 20TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A MASSIVE AND LARGE (86 CM) BRONZE FIGURE OF DAMO (BODHIDARMA), 20TH CENTURY Expert’s note The exceptional size and weight of the present figure place it firmly within the tradition of monumental bronze sculpture. At 86 cm in height and weighing 42 kilograms, its production required considerably greater technical skill and planning than the production of smaller devotional or decorative bronzes. Large-scale casting demands careful control of the mold, wall thickness, flow of the molten metal, ventilation, and subsequent cooling, with the risk of casting flaws increasing substantially with size and complexity. The imposing scale also suggests a correspondingly architectural setting. Rather than having been conceived as a conventional domestic image, a figure of Damo of these dimensions was most likely intended for installation on a substantial stone or rock pedestal within a temple, shrine, monastery, or comparable religious setting, where it would have formed part of a larger spatial ensemble. Even among 20th century Chinese bronzes, figures of this monumental scale are comparatively rare. China. Finely cast seated in Royal Ease with his left knee raised and the corresponding arm resting upon it, while supporting the weight of his body with his right hand placed on the ground. Clad in loose-fitting monastic robes cascading from his shoulders and leaving his chest exposed, their folds gathering gracefully across his lap and around his legs. The skillfully modeled face bears a serene expression, distinguished by wide-open eyes beneath thick, bushy eyebrows, a broad nose, and full lips framed by a luxuriant, tightly curled beard, all surmounted by a prominent bald pate. Dimensions: Height 86.3 cm Bodhidharma, known as Damo in China, lived between the 5th and 6th century and is regarded as the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism. Despite the lack of robust biographical information, early Chinese texts such as the Luoyang Qielan Ji, 'Record of the Buddhist Temples of Luoyang', written around 547 by Yang Xuanzhi, recorded Bodhidharma as a monk who traveled from central Asia to China. Daoxuan described Bodhidharma in Xu Gaoseng Zhuan, the 'Continuation of The Biographies of Eminent Monks', in the mid-seventh century, as a monk from southern India who arrived at the Kingdom of Nanyue during the Song period and then turned north to the Kingdom of Wei. Legend says that the sage once crossed the Yangtze by riding reeds across the river to transmit the Mahayana teachings to the north. It is also being said that he was so dedicated to attaining enlightenment, that he cut off his own eyelids to prevent himself from falling asleep during meditation. He is thus always depicted with a stern expression of intense concentration. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2007, lot 69 Price: USD 18,800 or approx. EUR 26,000 converted and Adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and subject, with similar facial features, notably the tightly curled beard. Note the similar size (91.4 cm) and the base.

图片