Lot Essay
Finely cast and richly inlaid with silver and copper, this intimate yet powerful image of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, exemplifies the high craftsmanship and devotional intensity of Himalayan metal sculpture in the 11th century. Small-scale works of this quality were treasured not only for their artistic refinement but also for their role in private devotion and tantric practice.
Here, Manjushri is depicted with resolute grace, raising his right hand aloft to wield the flaming sword of wisdom, the blade that cuts through ignorance and illusion. He is seated in lalitasana atop his snow lion mount, a rare and dynamic feature that sets this example apart. The lion looks up at his divine master with an expression of roaring adoration, reinforcing the central message of spiritual dominion and fearless insight.
The figure bears subtle yet precise detailing: a pleated scarf falls over his shoulders, and a triangular crown surmounts his serene yet purposeful face. Traces of silver inlay highlight ornamental features and facial details, underscoring both the preciousness of the work and the piety of the original patron. The presence of such inlay is not merely decorative but imbued with devotional intent, intended to honour the deity and accrue spiritual merit for the commissioner.
Signs of prolonged ritual use are evident in the softening of the facial features, torso, and hands, the key touch points of veneration over generations of worship. These marks of devotion serve as a moving testimony to the sculpture’s long life as a sacred object, rather than a static work of art.
A close parallel can be found in a bronze Avalokiteshvara preserved in the Tsuglakhang Temple, Lhasa (von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, Vol. I, Hong Kong, 2022, p. 168, no. 48A). That figure, of comparable scale, shares a distinctive base of split lotus petals, a looped halo, and the same robust treatment of scarves and jewellery, suggesting both were produced in the same atelier, possibly even by the same hand. Furthermore, the unique triangular crown motif is repeated in other contemporaneous bronzes, including a six-armed deity and another figure of Manjushri (ibid., pp. 170 and 173, nos. 49A and 50D).
Yet, it is the present figure’s exceptional mount, the animated lion that distinguishes it within this well-documented corpus. The integration of mount and deity into a cohesive and lively composition demonstrates the sculptor’s ingenuity outside the typically codified constraints of the monastic atelier.
This rare and expressive bronze encapsulates the devotional spirit, technical precision, and cross-regional aesthetic influences that flourished in Kashmir and the western Himalayas during the 11th century.
Here, Manjushri is depicted with resolute grace, raising his right hand aloft to wield the flaming sword of wisdom, the blade that cuts through ignorance and illusion. He is seated in lalitasana atop his snow lion mount, a rare and dynamic feature that sets this example apart. The lion looks up at his divine master with an expression of roaring adoration, reinforcing the central message of spiritual dominion and fearless insight.
The figure bears subtle yet precise detailing: a pleated scarf falls over his shoulders, and a triangular crown surmounts his serene yet purposeful face. Traces of silver inlay highlight ornamental features and facial details, underscoring both the preciousness of the work and the piety of the original patron. The presence of such inlay is not merely decorative but imbued with devotional intent, intended to honour the deity and accrue spiritual merit for the commissioner.
Signs of prolonged ritual use are evident in the softening of the facial features, torso, and hands, the key touch points of veneration over generations of worship. These marks of devotion serve as a moving testimony to the sculpture’s long life as a sacred object, rather than a static work of art.
A close parallel can be found in a bronze Avalokiteshvara preserved in the Tsuglakhang Temple, Lhasa (von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, Vol. I, Hong Kong, 2022, p. 168, no. 48A). That figure, of comparable scale, shares a distinctive base of split lotus petals, a looped halo, and the same robust treatment of scarves and jewellery, suggesting both were produced in the same atelier, possibly even by the same hand. Furthermore, the unique triangular crown motif is repeated in other contemporaneous bronzes, including a six-armed deity and another figure of Manjushri (ibid., pp. 170 and 173, nos. 49A and 50D).
Yet, it is the present figure’s exceptional mount, the animated lion that distinguishes it within this well-documented corpus. The integration of mount and deity into a cohesive and lively composition demonstrates the sculptor’s ingenuity outside the typically codified constraints of the monastic atelier.
This rare and expressive bronze encapsulates the devotional spirit, technical precision, and cross-regional aesthetic influences that flourished in Kashmir and the western Himalayas during the 11th century.