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Lot Essay
This superbly preserved and richly gilded bronze of a crowned Shakyamuni Buddha can be securely attributed to a Newar master sculptor active during the birth and artistic apex of the early Malla period of the 13th century. Newar artisans from the Kathmandu Valley worked for centuries in service of Tibetan patrons, creating works that combined Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan elements into a distinctive visual idiom. This sculpture exemplifies the sophisticated metalwork produced during this brief but significant period of artistic realisation.
The crowned Shakyamuni is shown seated in the lotus position on a finely decorated cushion, itself raised upon a lion-protected throne. Crowned images of the historical Buddha became increasingly prominent from the early Malla period onwards, inspired by Indian prototypes but adapted in Nepalese and Tibetan contexts. Here, the Buddha makes the earth-touching (bhumisparsha) and meditation gestures, recalling the moment of enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree. His serene expression, wide forehead, and smoothly contoured facial features reflect the high aesthetic standards of Newar craftsmanship. The leaf-shaped crown, inset with semi-precious stones, and the large, upturned earrings are emblematic features found in Kathmandu Valley early Malla period bronzes, paralleling those seen on a standing Avalokiteshvara in the Rietberg Museum, (see Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, pp. 96-7, no. 51). His monastic robe, revealing his right shoulder, but covers both pectorals, a rare representation that recalls Pala models. It is further defined by a beaded hem and dense, pleated folds that terminate in elegant ridges across the left shoulder. The cushion below features stippled floral motifs enclosed in circular designs, closely related to patterns on a Vasudhara in the British Museum (1971,0925.1) and which is are also found on the lower garment on the Rietberg Avalokiteshvara.
The throne is particularly elaborate: a breakfront Pala-style base centred with a vajra emerging from a lotus flanked by scrolling foliage and protected at the corners by a pair of lions whose deeply arched backs converge into a singular conjoined head—a style reminiscent of the fine terracotta examples found in the early Pala traditions at Shablan Vihar. The throne itself is a monument to architectural design. It is a study of the pagoda, a deliberate nod to the prototypal Nepalese chaitya of the Lichaavi dynasty. The front of the base protrudes forward at the centre, articulating one of the four reliquary niches of a chaitya, the east, while contextualizing the other two remaining visible sides as niches facing north and south. Pillars, interrupted by the converging lions at the corners, frame the reliquary niches and hold up one of the many canopied tiers of the pagoda’s roof—which are slightly upturned at the corners in a pleasing fashion. The architect of this small masterwork was indeed keen on the intricacies of architecture itself.
For comparison, see the iconic thangka of a Green Tara in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1970.156). Note the rigorous focus on architecture: the tiered canopies of the roof of the pagoda enshrine the celestial Tara in a penultimate torana, echoed as well in the tiered throne under her delicate, pendulant leg. While most scholars agree that the Green Tara was painted by the renowned Nepalese artist known as Aniko, sculptor, painter, and architect, no such attribution has ever been lent to a sculpture.
Contextually, the story of Aniko’s life, or that of a contemporary thirteenth century Newar master, is reflective in this present sculpture. There is no doubt that it was made by the hand of a preeminent Nepalese artist, but where along that great journey from Nepal to Tibet was it executed? Whether in the lush valley of Kathmandu or on the high plateau of Lhasa, in the monolithic monastery at Sakya or within the imperial courts of Shandu, there is little question that this miraculous image of a Shakyamuni Buddha was commissioned at the highest order.
The crowned Shakyamuni is shown seated in the lotus position on a finely decorated cushion, itself raised upon a lion-protected throne. Crowned images of the historical Buddha became increasingly prominent from the early Malla period onwards, inspired by Indian prototypes but adapted in Nepalese and Tibetan contexts. Here, the Buddha makes the earth-touching (bhumisparsha) and meditation gestures, recalling the moment of enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree. His serene expression, wide forehead, and smoothly contoured facial features reflect the high aesthetic standards of Newar craftsmanship. The leaf-shaped crown, inset with semi-precious stones, and the large, upturned earrings are emblematic features found in Kathmandu Valley early Malla period bronzes, paralleling those seen on a standing Avalokiteshvara in the Rietberg Museum, (see Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, pp. 96-7, no. 51). His monastic robe, revealing his right shoulder, but covers both pectorals, a rare representation that recalls Pala models. It is further defined by a beaded hem and dense, pleated folds that terminate in elegant ridges across the left shoulder. The cushion below features stippled floral motifs enclosed in circular designs, closely related to patterns on a Vasudhara in the British Museum (1971,0925.1) and which is are also found on the lower garment on the Rietberg Avalokiteshvara.
The throne is particularly elaborate: a breakfront Pala-style base centred with a vajra emerging from a lotus flanked by scrolling foliage and protected at the corners by a pair of lions whose deeply arched backs converge into a singular conjoined head—a style reminiscent of the fine terracotta examples found in the early Pala traditions at Shablan Vihar. The throne itself is a monument to architectural design. It is a study of the pagoda, a deliberate nod to the prototypal Nepalese chaitya of the Lichaavi dynasty. The front of the base protrudes forward at the centre, articulating one of the four reliquary niches of a chaitya, the east, while contextualizing the other two remaining visible sides as niches facing north and south. Pillars, interrupted by the converging lions at the corners, frame the reliquary niches and hold up one of the many canopied tiers of the pagoda’s roof—which are slightly upturned at the corners in a pleasing fashion. The architect of this small masterwork was indeed keen on the intricacies of architecture itself.
For comparison, see the iconic thangka of a Green Tara in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1970.156). Note the rigorous focus on architecture: the tiered canopies of the roof of the pagoda enshrine the celestial Tara in a penultimate torana, echoed as well in the tiered throne under her delicate, pendulant leg. While most scholars agree that the Green Tara was painted by the renowned Nepalese artist known as Aniko, sculptor, painter, and architect, no such attribution has ever been lent to a sculpture.
Contextually, the story of Aniko’s life, or that of a contemporary thirteenth century Newar master, is reflective in this present sculpture. There is no doubt that it was made by the hand of a preeminent Nepalese artist, but where along that great journey from Nepal to Tibet was it executed? Whether in the lush valley of Kathmandu or on the high plateau of Lhasa, in the monolithic monastery at Sakya or within the imperial courts of Shandu, there is little question that this miraculous image of a Shakyamuni Buddha was commissioned at the highest order.