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Lot Essay
This impressive and finely cast figure of the Buddha is depicted seated in dhyanasana, the posture of meditation, with his right hand extended in bhumisparshamudra, the earth-touching gesture. This momentous iconographic motif captures the Buddha’s enlightenment as he calls the earth to witness his triumph over Mara beneath the Bodhi tree.
The sculpture is rich in symbolic detail underscoring the Buddha’s divinity. Lotus blossoms are incised into the palms and soles; elongated earlobes are adorned with diminutive lotus forms; the eyes are elongated and gaze inward in serene introspection; the forehead is marked with a raised urna; and tightly coiled curls of hair rise above the cranial protuberance (ushnisha), which is surmounted by a conical finial. Crowning the head is a five-leaf diadem inset with semi-precious stones, further affirming the Buddha’s divine and regal status. The base is sealed by a consecration plate with the symbols of the ashtamsngala encircling the visvavajra, together with minute traces of cold gold paste and blue in the hair confirm this sculpture was brought under worship in Tibet.
This crowned representation may be interpreted in two ways: either as Akshobhya, assuming it once formed part of a set of the Five Transcendent Buddhas, or as a Crowned Shakyamuni, if it served as a standalone image or the central figure in an ensemble. While the presence of regal adornments might appear at odds with the Buddha’s renunciation of worldly life, scholarly research, particularly by Claudine Bautze-Picron, The Bejewelled Buddha from India to Burma, 2010, has shown how political, devotional, and philosophical shifts across South Asia by the end of the first millennium CE led to the depiction of the historical Buddha with royal attributes to reinforce his spiritual sovereignty.
The Buddha is clad in a diaphanous sanghati (monastic robe), its hem intricately incised and edged with beaded bands. A pleated section of the robe drapes elegantly over his left shoulder, while the lower garment fans outward in thick, rhythmic folds below the crossed ankles. The surface is richly gilded, and the sculpture retains much of its original consecration material, visible from the underside, an important trace of its ritual use and sanctity.
Powerfully modelled and radiating quiet authority, this figure compares closely with a seated Buddha of similar period held in the Qing Palace Collection, Beijing (Zangchuan Fojiao Zaoxiang, Hong Kong, 2008, p. 145, no. 139). Also compare with an example in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, Vol. 1, 2001, pp. 522–523, cat. no. 170c). Both display a strong chest wrapped in a simple robe with subtle undulating folds and incised scrollwork bordered by beaded rims. Their limbs are elongated and proportionate, seated in padmasana, with square-shaped faces, stylised floral motifs above the ears, and contemplative expressions that embody the ideal of meditative stillness.
Von Schroeder notes that the comparable figure may have been either imported from Nepal or produced by Newar craftsmen in Tibet. However, the lotus motif beside each ear in the present sculpture is particularly evocative of 11th-century Kashmiri prototypes from Western Tibet (ibid., pp. 152–166, cat. nos. 40B–47B). This points to the dynamic interplay of regional artistic traditions across Kashmir, Tibet, and the Kathmandu Valley, an exchange in which Newar artists demonstrated exceptional ability to synthesise and reinterpret diverse stylistic influences into a uniquely Newari aesthetic.
The present Buddha compares favourably with another sold at Christie’s New York, 18 March 2015, lot 4018, both sculpture enjoy a refinement in casting, balance, and execution. Its serene expression, delicately rendered hands and feet, and harmonious features underscore its masterful design and Newari character.
What ultimately distinguishes this image, however, is its compact, powerful presence. The figure’s squat, robust frame, anchored by a broad chest, thickly pleated base, and solid, symmetrical build, imbues it with a commanding physicality that is both grounded and transcendent. This emphasis on volume and solidity not only enhances its visual impact but also reflects a uniquely Newar sculptural sensibility. The synthesis of iconographic precision, regal iconography, and physical strength makes this sculpture an exceptional testament to early Nepalese bronze artistry at its most accomplished.
The sculpture is rich in symbolic detail underscoring the Buddha’s divinity. Lotus blossoms are incised into the palms and soles; elongated earlobes are adorned with diminutive lotus forms; the eyes are elongated and gaze inward in serene introspection; the forehead is marked with a raised urna; and tightly coiled curls of hair rise above the cranial protuberance (ushnisha), which is surmounted by a conical finial. Crowning the head is a five-leaf diadem inset with semi-precious stones, further affirming the Buddha’s divine and regal status. The base is sealed by a consecration plate with the symbols of the ashtamsngala encircling the visvavajra, together with minute traces of cold gold paste and blue in the hair confirm this sculpture was brought under worship in Tibet.
This crowned representation may be interpreted in two ways: either as Akshobhya, assuming it once formed part of a set of the Five Transcendent Buddhas, or as a Crowned Shakyamuni, if it served as a standalone image or the central figure in an ensemble. While the presence of regal adornments might appear at odds with the Buddha’s renunciation of worldly life, scholarly research, particularly by Claudine Bautze-Picron, The Bejewelled Buddha from India to Burma, 2010, has shown how political, devotional, and philosophical shifts across South Asia by the end of the first millennium CE led to the depiction of the historical Buddha with royal attributes to reinforce his spiritual sovereignty.
The Buddha is clad in a diaphanous sanghati (monastic robe), its hem intricately incised and edged with beaded bands. A pleated section of the robe drapes elegantly over his left shoulder, while the lower garment fans outward in thick, rhythmic folds below the crossed ankles. The surface is richly gilded, and the sculpture retains much of its original consecration material, visible from the underside, an important trace of its ritual use and sanctity.
Powerfully modelled and radiating quiet authority, this figure compares closely with a seated Buddha of similar period held in the Qing Palace Collection, Beijing (Zangchuan Fojiao Zaoxiang, Hong Kong, 2008, p. 145, no. 139). Also compare with an example in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculpture in Tibet, Vol. 1, 2001, pp. 522–523, cat. no. 170c). Both display a strong chest wrapped in a simple robe with subtle undulating folds and incised scrollwork bordered by beaded rims. Their limbs are elongated and proportionate, seated in padmasana, with square-shaped faces, stylised floral motifs above the ears, and contemplative expressions that embody the ideal of meditative stillness.
Von Schroeder notes that the comparable figure may have been either imported from Nepal or produced by Newar craftsmen in Tibet. However, the lotus motif beside each ear in the present sculpture is particularly evocative of 11th-century Kashmiri prototypes from Western Tibet (ibid., pp. 152–166, cat. nos. 40B–47B). This points to the dynamic interplay of regional artistic traditions across Kashmir, Tibet, and the Kathmandu Valley, an exchange in which Newar artists demonstrated exceptional ability to synthesise and reinterpret diverse stylistic influences into a uniquely Newari aesthetic.
The present Buddha compares favourably with another sold at Christie’s New York, 18 March 2015, lot 4018, both sculpture enjoy a refinement in casting, balance, and execution. Its serene expression, delicately rendered hands and feet, and harmonious features underscore its masterful design and Newari character.
What ultimately distinguishes this image, however, is its compact, powerful presence. The figure’s squat, robust frame, anchored by a broad chest, thickly pleated base, and solid, symmetrical build, imbues it with a commanding physicality that is both grounded and transcendent. This emphasis on volume and solidity not only enhances its visual impact but also reflects a uniquely Newar sculptural sensibility. The synthesis of iconographic precision, regal iconography, and physical strength makes this sculpture an exceptional testament to early Nepalese bronze artistry at its most accomplished.