Footnotes

This bronze is a particularly handsome example of a 13th-/14th-century Tibetan style that can often fall short in the attempt to cast a beautifully proportioned, multi-armed deity, graced with an authoritative expression of arresting calm. Not so with this depiction of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, the embodiment of the mystic Buddhist mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum. His legs and arms appear at once lithe and robust, matched by plump lotus petals arranged below him. Whereas on other examples jewelry can seem shallow and spurious, here it is prominent and deliberate, with every beaded element distinct, and copper inlay further adorning the surface. Meanwhile, the lotus in his raised left hand is modeled with particular flair, ripe with petals that pull from the center as it comes to the end of its blooming cycle, while younger buds prepare to unfurl.

The attractive sense of volume within the figure, and realism in his pose, rank the present lot among other superior examples of the period, that derive inspiration from Pala sculpture, such as figures of Vajrasattva and Acala in the Jokhang, published by von Schroeder, both of which stand out for their quality from the other bronzes appearing on the same pages (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol.2, Hong Kong, 2001, pp.1112-3 & 1180-1, nos.291B & 317B). Likewise, the present lot shares a similar full-bodied, burly lotus pedestal as the fine example of Vairocana in the Rietberg Museum, published in Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, p.65, no.25.

Provenance
Rossi & Rossi Ltd., Hong Kong
Private European Collection, acquired from the above, 2011


錯紅銅四臂觀音銅像
西藏，約十三世紀
面部施冷金，嘴唇施紅色顏料，頭髮施藍色青金石粉。
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網2446號
高35釐米（13 3/4英吋）

1,200,000-1,500,000港元

此尊造像工藝精湛，比例完美，面容威嚴而寂靜，在十三至十四世紀的西藏風格造像中實屬難得。造像生動描繪了四臂觀音菩薩，其乃唵嘛呢叭彌吽六字真言之化身。菩薩的雙腿與四臂輕盈而健壯，與下方飽滿的蓮瓣相得益彰。瓔珞與臂釧規整有緒，每顆串珠都清晰可見，紅銅的使用更增添了裝飾性，如此精心的處理使作品脫穎而出。菩薩左手所持蓮花風韻獨特，花瓣羞澀下垂，彷彿已瀕臨凋謝，而與此同時，旁邊的花蕾則昂揚向上，亟待盛開。

造像的體量感與寫實性應受到帕拉風格的影響，其到位的表現在同類作品中實屬上乘。藏於大昭寺的金剛薩埵像及不動明王像與此拍品風格相似，參見（von Schroeder ，西藏佛教造像，卷二，香港，2001年，頁1112-3 & 1180-1，291B & 317B號）。同時，其飽滿的蓮瓣與藏於雷特伯格博物館的一尊大日如來像如出一轍，參見Uhlig，On the Path to Enlightenment，蘇黎世，1995年，頁65，25號。

來源
Rossi & Rossi Ltd.，香港
歐洲私人珍藏，於2011年購於上述古董商