NEPAL, 9TH/10TH CENTURY

Details

An important gilt copper figure of Padmapani
Nepal, 9th/10th Century
Solidly cast standing in graceful tribhanga with his right hand lowered in a gesture of compassion and holding a jewel, the left holding a lotus stalk rising up to his shoulder, wearing a diaphanous dhoti incised with bands of floral and diaper patterns, armlets, ear rings and foliate tiara, a sash tied across his hip, the face with a benign expression, the gilding partly rubbed revealing a rich copper tone
14 in. (35.6 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired in the 1950s

Exhibited

On loan to the Cincinatti Art Museum, Ohio, 1982-1995

Lot Essay

This figure is remarkable for its graceful proportions and fluid outline with swelling hips and chest. The designs of the dhoti are incised in a cursory way with simple geometric patterns. The oval object in his right hand may represent the fruit of knowledge or a wish-fulfilling gem. The treatment of the tiara is striking with elaborate scrollwork, originally centered by an inset hardstone.
Compare with a figure of a Bodhisattva at the Norton Simon Museum, see P. Pal, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Vol. 2: Art from the Himalayas and China, 2003, cat. no. 46, p. 77.

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