A SILVER- AND COPPER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI
A SILVER- AND COPPER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI

Northeastern India or Tibet, 12th/13th century

Details
A SILVER- AND COPPER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI
Northeastern India or Tibet, 12th/13th century
2 ¼ in. (6 cm.) high
Provenance
Acquired by the 1970s, by repute.
Accessioned by the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, 2010 (TL2010.38.44).
Literature
Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24323

Lot Essay

This small but exquisite early bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni displays a unique combination of stylistic features that suggest influences from both Tibet and northeastern India. The modeling of the body with broad shoulders and inflated chest which narrows at the waist, as well as the inlay of precious metals to accentuate the hem of the sanghati, are comparable to Pala school sculpture from India (see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Vol. 1, India and Nepal, Hong Kong, 2001, pp.266-267, cat no.85c). However, the very rounded shape of the head and facial features are more similar to Tibetan examples from the period, as is the greenish hue of the metal (see U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.172, cat.no. 30B). While it is difficult to say for certain from which culture this work originates, it is undoubtedly the creation of a skilled artist, commissioned by a wealthy patron with the means to include costly silver and copper inlay.

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