TIBET, 13TH/14TH CENTURY

Superbly cast with elegantly sloping shoulders and breath-filled chest, the impressively sized figure of Buddha Shakyamuni displays a stylistic synthesis of Tibetan and Nepalese appearance, in particular that of Khasa Malla, recognizable by such details as the upturned tips of the Buddha's elongated earlobes, a beak-like nose, the pronounced urna centering brows that join at center and the specific pattern on the hem of the sanghati. Nepalese artists were known for their mobility, and the rounded shape of the face framed by long pendulous lobes and neatly curled hair more typical of Tibetan sculpture suggests this bronze was created in Tibet by artists trained in the imperial Nepali atelier. While the face bears is more classically Tibetan, overall the figure displays many Khasa Malla features; compare with lot 340 and another example from the Doris Wiener Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 99.