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Lot Essay
This exceptional bronze depicts Shakyamuni Buddha at the most pivotal moment of his spiritual journey, his enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya. Seated in vajraparyankasana, the diamond posture, with legs crossed and his left hand resting in his lap holding the gathered end of his robe, the Buddha extends his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, the earth-touching gesture. This iconic pose recalls the dramatic instant when he summoned the earth to witness his triumph over Mara’s demonic forces. His eyes roll upward in a state of ecstatic concentration, the pupils partially veiled by heavy lids, a subtle yet powerful expression of transcendence characteristic of Pala-period sculpture.
Presented in the form of Vajrasana, this image belongs to a rare group of Buddhas created in India and preserved in Tibet. Together with two closely related examples in the Norton Simon Museum and the British Museum (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, nos. 38A and F, pp.188–189), it forms a distinguished set likely commissioned for or by Tibetan pilgrims during the 11th or 12th century, just prior to the decline of North Indian monastic centres in the late 12th century.
The group is unified by a series of distinctive features that underscore its Indian origin: the jewel finial crowning the conical ushnisha with graduated rows of curls; a heart-shaped face framed by symmetrical hair curls converging at the centre complemented by U-shaped radiating rows of beaded curls at the back; deeply incised pupils partly veiled by dipping lids beneath high arching brows; and a wide, triple-banded, beaded hemline of the robe. The figure’s broad shoulders taper to a narrow waist, while the plump hands display carefully articulated fingers. The lotus base is adorned with a prominent vajra and wide, smooth petals that are slightly misaligned. Additional details include a sulcus at the base of the robe and a flared section lifting from the left thigh as if animated by a gust of wind, imparting a sense of the realistic human form and the deities dynamic vitality.
Additional details reinforce this attribution—the gathered robe-end held in the left hand, the fishtail pattern of the robe’s edge, and the projecting lug beneath the base—features typical of Pala-period bronzes intended for larger shrine settings, but uncommon in early Tibetan portable sculpture (Huntington & Huntington 1990, p.155). Several related examples bear Sanskrit inscriptions, further supporting an Indian provenance (Zwalf 1985, p.134; von Schroeder 2001, p.1160).
This bronze stands as a testament to the artistic and spiritual exchange between India and Tibet during the final flowering of Buddhist art in eastern India, a superb representation of the serene authority and refined craftsmanship within the corpus of Himalayan Art.
Presented in the form of Vajrasana, this image belongs to a rare group of Buddhas created in India and preserved in Tibet. Together with two closely related examples in the Norton Simon Museum and the British Museum (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, nos. 38A and F, pp.188–189), it forms a distinguished set likely commissioned for or by Tibetan pilgrims during the 11th or 12th century, just prior to the decline of North Indian monastic centres in the late 12th century.
The group is unified by a series of distinctive features that underscore its Indian origin: the jewel finial crowning the conical ushnisha with graduated rows of curls; a heart-shaped face framed by symmetrical hair curls converging at the centre complemented by U-shaped radiating rows of beaded curls at the back; deeply incised pupils partly veiled by dipping lids beneath high arching brows; and a wide, triple-banded, beaded hemline of the robe. The figure’s broad shoulders taper to a narrow waist, while the plump hands display carefully articulated fingers. The lotus base is adorned with a prominent vajra and wide, smooth petals that are slightly misaligned. Additional details include a sulcus at the base of the robe and a flared section lifting from the left thigh as if animated by a gust of wind, imparting a sense of the realistic human form and the deities dynamic vitality.
Additional details reinforce this attribution—the gathered robe-end held in the left hand, the fishtail pattern of the robe’s edge, and the projecting lug beneath the base—features typical of Pala-period bronzes intended for larger shrine settings, but uncommon in early Tibetan portable sculpture (Huntington & Huntington 1990, p.155). Several related examples bear Sanskrit inscriptions, further supporting an Indian provenance (Zwalf 1985, p.134; von Schroeder 2001, p.1160).
This bronze stands as a testament to the artistic and spiritual exchange between India and Tibet during the final flowering of Buddhist art in eastern India, a superb representation of the serene authority and refined craftsmanship within the corpus of Himalayan Art.