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Lot Essay
This impressively large and finely cast figure of Buddha is seated in dhyanasana with his right hand in bhumisparshamudra, as he calls the earth to bear witness to his meditation. There are numerous indications of his divinity, including the lotuses on his palms and soles, his pierced earlobes surmounted by diminutive lotuses, his elongated eyes with the pupils gazing inward, the raised urna centering his forehead, and his tightly curled hair rising over the ushnisha, which is topped by a conical finial. He is dressed in a sheer sanghati with richly incised hems bordered by beads cast in high relief, with one pleated end elegantly draped over his left shoulder. The bottom of the robe fans out in thick pleats below his crossed ankles. This work is lavishly gilt overall and retains much of its consecration material, visible from the underside.
Elegantly modeled, this large figure of Buddha is comparable to a seated figure from the same period (see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet Vol. 1: India and Nepal, 2001, pp.522-523, cat.no.170c). Compare the robust chest, covered in a simple sanghati gathered in fine undulating folds at his shoulder and bordered by an incised scroll border with beaded rims. The arms are rounded and elongated and the legs gracefully folded in padmasana. The faces are square-shaped with elongated eyes centered by an urna. Each ear is decorated with a single flower and the hair is neatly arranged in tight curls rising to a domed ushnisha. While von Schroeder notes that the comparable sculpture “was either imported from Nepal or is the work of Newar craftsmen in Tibet,” the single flower above each ear suggests the influence of eleventh-century Kashmiri prototypes from Western Tibet (ibid., pp.152-166, cat.no.40B-47B). The adaptation of these early features illustrates the cross-pollination of artistic styles that spanned centuries. The present sculpture exemplifies the ability of the Newar artist to translate these earlier features into a distinctly Newar style, while the size suggests it was an important commission.
Compare with a another Nepalese gilt bronze figure of Buddha sold at Christie’s New York on 18 March 2015 (lot 4018 for $425,000), which is three-quarters the size of the present figure. Almost identical in terms of the iconographic details, the present work exhibits a greater refinement in the overall casting of the figure. The proportions of the body and head, the hands and feet and especially the facial features, which are meticulously rendered, give the Buddha a quintessentially Newari appearance. The present figure represents the peak of sophistication for early Nepalese bronze work, particularly for a sculpture of such large size and fine state of preservation.
Elegantly modeled, this large figure of Buddha is comparable to a seated figure from the same period (see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet Vol. 1: India and Nepal, 2001, pp.522-523, cat.no.170c). Compare the robust chest, covered in a simple sanghati gathered in fine undulating folds at his shoulder and bordered by an incised scroll border with beaded rims. The arms are rounded and elongated and the legs gracefully folded in padmasana. The faces are square-shaped with elongated eyes centered by an urna. Each ear is decorated with a single flower and the hair is neatly arranged in tight curls rising to a domed ushnisha. While von Schroeder notes that the comparable sculpture “was either imported from Nepal or is the work of Newar craftsmen in Tibet,” the single flower above each ear suggests the influence of eleventh-century Kashmiri prototypes from Western Tibet (ibid., pp.152-166, cat.no.40B-47B). The adaptation of these early features illustrates the cross-pollination of artistic styles that spanned centuries. The present sculpture exemplifies the ability of the Newar artist to translate these earlier features into a distinctly Newar style, while the size suggests it was an important commission.
Compare with a another Nepalese gilt bronze figure of Buddha sold at Christie’s New York on 18 March 2015 (lot 4018 for $425,000), which is three-quarters the size of the present figure. Almost identical in terms of the iconographic details, the present work exhibits a greater refinement in the overall casting of the figure. The proportions of the body and head, the hands and feet and especially the facial features, which are meticulously rendered, give the Buddha a quintessentially Newari appearance. The present figure represents the peak of sophistication for early Nepalese bronze work, particularly for a sculpture of such large size and fine state of preservation.