.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This large and resplendent figure of a bodhisattva is one of the most impressive early sculptures in bronze to be seen outside of Tibet. The right hand is raised to the chest with the fingers curled inwards with a short stub remaining that would have supported a ritual implement. Based on the gesture of the hand, it is likely he held a vajra. In 2003 Dr. Pal argued that this figure might represent the deity Vajrasattva (P. Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, p. 169, cat. no. 108), noting the precedent for some standing Vajrasattva figures in early Tibetan sculpture. Vajrasattva is usually shown holding the vajra in front of the chest, while ringing the ghanta, the ceremonial bell, with his other hand.
The Vajrasattva identification, however, is tempered by that deity's association with Vajrayana Buddhism, rather than Mahayana. While Vajrayana was introduced to Tibet as early as the 10th century through the work of Rinchen Zangpo and, later, Atisha, it remained for many years in the domain of learned monks. The myriad of secret rituals that formed the basis of early tantric Tibetan Buddhism was far too esoteric for the masses of common worshippers. Instead, the traditions of the earliest form of Buddhism, associated with worship of Shakyamuni Buddha and the sixteen arhats (previously referred to as Hinayana), and Mahayana, with its emphasis on the bodhisattvas, were more dominant systems amongst the Buddhist masses in this period in Tibet. Temples associated with monasteries would have had multiple shrines, with some devoted to "Hinayana," others with Mahayana images, and a third group reserved for Vajrayana practices. The first two types of shrines would have been generally available to all who wished to worship, while the tantric parts of the temple were reserved for the practiced Vajrayana monk or guru. As these practitioners understood the philosophy of Vajrayana beyond the visual level, they would not have needed and therefore were unlikely to have commissioned large images such as the present example. It is more likely that a bodhisattva sculpture of this size and date would have been found in the Mahayana part of a temple.
As Buddhism evolved, schisms within the faith resulted in divergent belief systems; the earlier "Hinayana" form, with its emphasis on the Shakyamuni Buddha and the arhats, was to a certain extent supplanted by Mahayana Buddhism, which placed a greater importance on Amitabha and a core group of bodhisattvas. Enlightened beings whose goal was to help all creatures attain nirvana, bodhisattvas were appropriate figures of worship for the common Buddhist masses. In early Tibetan temples, these figures would have been imposingly large and placed in groups of either three or eight. An important early example of a bodhisattva triad was installed at the Kojarnath temple in Purang in the Kingdom of Guge in Western Tibet. Dating from the late 10th or early 11th century, the triad depicted a large figure of Manjushri in silver at center, flanked by comparably sized figures of Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani - the three bodhisattvas were referred to as "The Three Lords of the World." At this time, Guge was an important Buddhist center and popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetans; its king, Ye shes 'Od, sent out emissaries to India to bring back Buddhist scholars and texts, and Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), who had studied under Atisha in India, is credited with the Second Diffusion of Buddhism to Tibet. It is likely the early triad at Kojarnath, produced sometime after Rinchen Zangpo's return from India, served as the model for other Mahayana shrines in Tibet. Indeed, a resplendent triad in the Pritzker Collection and included in the 2003 Chicago exhibition is likely based in part on the triad at Kojarnath (see P. Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, pp. 136-137, cat. no. 87). While the iconography and religious practice of the Kojarnath triad and others like it are likely models for the present work, stylistically that work and the current example would have been markedly different. The present work represents a unique moment in stylistic development, evolving from and engaging with the nearby artistic traditions of Northeastern India and Nepal while working with the existing Tibetan style of sculpture. In the straight hips, lithe torso, and tall face, there is little evidence of a Kashmiri influence, making it unlikely the work could have originated in Western Tibet. The attention to the jewelry, in particular the sacred thread and the pendant string of jewels between the legs, can be compared with Pala examples of the 9th and 10th centuries. Likewise, the soft modeling of the belly and the associated curvilinear waist of the dhoti is a development of Northeastern Indian sculpture, in contrast to the straight waist of Kashmiri bronzes. The facial features, with the prominently curved nose, almond-shaped eyes, and most strikingly, the treatment of the brows and urna, also refer to Pala stylistic conventions.
Certain aspects of the work also demonstrate a familiarity with the sculpture of Tibet's neighbor, Nepal. The most striking resemblance to Nepalese style is found in the treatment of the headdress. In the present work, the hair is arranged in three domed tiers, faced with foliate medallions and topped with a tall finial in the form of a Nepalese Vajracharya crown (for a 13th century example of a three-tiered crown, see J. Huntington and D. Bangdel, Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, 2004, p. 225, cat. no. 60). Indeed, the Pala style had by the 9th and 10th centuries permeated Nepalese sculptural traditions, and it is possible both the Pala and Nepalese influences found in the present work were established through study of Nepalese sculpture, rather than actual Pala prototypes.
The present example relates to two silver sculptures of Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani in the Ngor Monastery in Southern Tibet, dated to the 11th century (see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, vol. I, pp. 310-311, cat. nos. 106B and 106D). In the image of Avalokiteshvara in particular, the armbands, bracelets, sacred thread, ribbons at the hips, and the pendant string of jewels between the legs are remarkably similar to those in the present example, as is the straight leg posture, long arms, and thin neck. In the figure of Vajrapani, one can detect similarities to the current example in the hand gestures and also in the unusual finial of the chignon. While today housed at Ngor, they were originally installed at Sakya Monastery, an important Buddhist center founded in the 11th century in South-Central Tibet, close to the border with Nepal, and home to the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Vajrasattva identification, however, is tempered by that deity's association with Vajrayana Buddhism, rather than Mahayana. While Vajrayana was introduced to Tibet as early as the 10th century through the work of Rinchen Zangpo and, later, Atisha, it remained for many years in the domain of learned monks. The myriad of secret rituals that formed the basis of early tantric Tibetan Buddhism was far too esoteric for the masses of common worshippers. Instead, the traditions of the earliest form of Buddhism, associated with worship of Shakyamuni Buddha and the sixteen arhats (previously referred to as Hinayana), and Mahayana, with its emphasis on the bodhisattvas, were more dominant systems amongst the Buddhist masses in this period in Tibet. Temples associated with monasteries would have had multiple shrines, with some devoted to "Hinayana," others with Mahayana images, and a third group reserved for Vajrayana practices. The first two types of shrines would have been generally available to all who wished to worship, while the tantric parts of the temple were reserved for the practiced Vajrayana monk or guru. As these practitioners understood the philosophy of Vajrayana beyond the visual level, they would not have needed and therefore were unlikely to have commissioned large images such as the present example. It is more likely that a bodhisattva sculpture of this size and date would have been found in the Mahayana part of a temple.
As Buddhism evolved, schisms within the faith resulted in divergent belief systems; the earlier "Hinayana" form, with its emphasis on the Shakyamuni Buddha and the arhats, was to a certain extent supplanted by Mahayana Buddhism, which placed a greater importance on Amitabha and a core group of bodhisattvas. Enlightened beings whose goal was to help all creatures attain nirvana, bodhisattvas were appropriate figures of worship for the common Buddhist masses. In early Tibetan temples, these figures would have been imposingly large and placed in groups of either three or eight. An important early example of a bodhisattva triad was installed at the Kojarnath temple in Purang in the Kingdom of Guge in Western Tibet. Dating from the late 10th or early 11th century, the triad depicted a large figure of Manjushri in silver at center, flanked by comparably sized figures of Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani - the three bodhisattvas were referred to as "The Three Lords of the World." At this time, Guge was an important Buddhist center and popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetans; its king, Ye shes 'Od, sent out emissaries to India to bring back Buddhist scholars and texts, and Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), who had studied under Atisha in India, is credited with the Second Diffusion of Buddhism to Tibet. It is likely the early triad at Kojarnath, produced sometime after Rinchen Zangpo's return from India, served as the model for other Mahayana shrines in Tibet. Indeed, a resplendent triad in the Pritzker Collection and included in the 2003 Chicago exhibition is likely based in part on the triad at Kojarnath (see P. Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, pp. 136-137, cat. no. 87). While the iconography and religious practice of the Kojarnath triad and others like it are likely models for the present work, stylistically that work and the current example would have been markedly different. The present work represents a unique moment in stylistic development, evolving from and engaging with the nearby artistic traditions of Northeastern India and Nepal while working with the existing Tibetan style of sculpture. In the straight hips, lithe torso, and tall face, there is little evidence of a Kashmiri influence, making it unlikely the work could have originated in Western Tibet. The attention to the jewelry, in particular the sacred thread and the pendant string of jewels between the legs, can be compared with Pala examples of the 9th and 10th centuries. Likewise, the soft modeling of the belly and the associated curvilinear waist of the dhoti is a development of Northeastern Indian sculpture, in contrast to the straight waist of Kashmiri bronzes. The facial features, with the prominently curved nose, almond-shaped eyes, and most strikingly, the treatment of the brows and urna, also refer to Pala stylistic conventions.
Certain aspects of the work also demonstrate a familiarity with the sculpture of Tibet's neighbor, Nepal. The most striking resemblance to Nepalese style is found in the treatment of the headdress. In the present work, the hair is arranged in three domed tiers, faced with foliate medallions and topped with a tall finial in the form of a Nepalese Vajracharya crown (for a 13th century example of a three-tiered crown, see J. Huntington and D. Bangdel, Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, 2004, p. 225, cat. no. 60). Indeed, the Pala style had by the 9th and 10th centuries permeated Nepalese sculptural traditions, and it is possible both the Pala and Nepalese influences found in the present work were established through study of Nepalese sculpture, rather than actual Pala prototypes.
The present example relates to two silver sculptures of Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani in the Ngor Monastery in Southern Tibet, dated to the 11th century (see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, vol. I, pp. 310-311, cat. nos. 106B and 106D). In the image of Avalokiteshvara in particular, the armbands, bracelets, sacred thread, ribbons at the hips, and the pendant string of jewels between the legs are remarkably similar to those in the present example, as is the straight leg posture, long arms, and thin neck. In the figure of Vajrapani, one can detect similarities to the current example in the hand gestures and also in the unusual finial of the chignon. While today housed at Ngor, they were originally installed at Sakya Monastery, an important Buddhist center founded in the 11th century in South-Central Tibet, close to the border with Nepal, and home to the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism.