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Lot Essay
This elegant figure of Sitatara stands upon a circular lotus platform that indicates that it was once part of a Buddhist triad that likely included Avalokiteshvara. The sculptor captures the goddess in graceful motion, her wrists bend delicately, and her right hip swings outward, causing a pleated section of her garment to flare as if animated by a gentle breeze. In her left hand, she holds the stem of a partially unfurled lotus, a symbol of purity and spiritual awakening. This attribute, combined with her serene expression and poised stance, identifies her as Tara, the Buddhist savioress.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Sitatara (White Tara) occupies a role of profound significance. She is revered as the embodiment of compassion and longevity, invoked in rites for healing, protection, and the extension of life. Her presence within a triad—often alongside wrathful deities such as Vajrapani or Yamantaka—creates a visual and metaphysical balance between fierce guardianship and nurturing benevolence. White Tara’s association with the Seven Eyes of Awareness, symbolizing omniscient vision, and her connection to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara underscore her status as a cosmic protector and guide through the complexities of tantric practice. In early Himalayan art, her depiction reflects the synthesis of Indian iconographic ideals with the emerging Tibetan aesthetic, marking her as a central figure in the devotional and ritual life of the period.
The technical and stylistic features of this bronze, its solid casting, refined modelling, and intricate jewelry, tall crown, inset ornaments, and rhythmic folds of the dhoti echo the Newar aesthetic that profoundly influenced Himalayan sculpture. Comparable examples include a closely related figure published in von Schroeder (Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p.345, no.88F) and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1987.142.355). An earlier Nepalese triad from the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.79.9.4), further illustrates the continuity of this iconography across regions and centuries.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Sitatara (White Tara) occupies a role of profound significance. She is revered as the embodiment of compassion and longevity, invoked in rites for healing, protection, and the extension of life. Her presence within a triad—often alongside wrathful deities such as Vajrapani or Yamantaka—creates a visual and metaphysical balance between fierce guardianship and nurturing benevolence. White Tara’s association with the Seven Eyes of Awareness, symbolizing omniscient vision, and her connection to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara underscore her status as a cosmic protector and guide through the complexities of tantric practice. In early Himalayan art, her depiction reflects the synthesis of Indian iconographic ideals with the emerging Tibetan aesthetic, marking her as a central figure in the devotional and ritual life of the period.
The technical and stylistic features of this bronze, its solid casting, refined modelling, and intricate jewelry, tall crown, inset ornaments, and rhythmic folds of the dhoti echo the Newar aesthetic that profoundly influenced Himalayan sculpture. Comparable examples include a closely related figure published in von Schroeder (Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p.345, no.88F) and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1987.142.355). An earlier Nepalese triad from the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.79.9.4), further illustrates the continuity of this iconography across regions and centuries.