A gold lacquered wood figure of Shadakshari

MONGOLIA, 18TH CENTURY

Details

A gold lacquered wood figure of Shadakshari
Mongolia, 18th century
Seated in dhyanasana with the principle hands folded in anjalimudra and the upper hands in karanamudra, clad in an elegantly rippling dhoti secured with a belt looped in a bow at center and adorned with abundant beaded ornaments, the antelope draped over his left shoulder and a sash across his upper back and elbows, the face with bow-shaped mouth, elongated eyes, and finely arched brows, the hair in neat rows with locks curling at the shoulders and the rest arranged in a tall chignon surmounted by a diminutive Buddha head
35½ in. (90.2 cm.) high

Provenance

Christie's Amsterdam, 7 November 1994, lot 84
The Dharma Collection, Israel, acquired in Paris, 14 February 1996

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Lot Essay

The four-armed form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is associated with the mystic Buddhist mantra of six syllables, om mani padme hum. These six syllables are the seed syllables of the six realms of the wheel of life: om is white and stands for the god realm, ma is green and stands for the demigod or Asura realm, ni is yellow and stands for the human realm, pad is blue and stands for the animal realms, me is red and stands for hungry ghost realm, hum is black and stands for the hell realm. Shadakshari ushers all beings from the six realms into enlightenment. Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara was a particularly popular and important deity throughout Tibet and Central Asia, as evident in the remarkable example seen here.

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