
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
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Sold for US$75,000 inc. premium
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International Director
西藏 十四/十五世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼佛坐像
Richly gilded and finely cast in the round, Shakyamuni sits in bhumisparsha mudra on a vajra-throne (vajrasana), wearing a monk's patchwork robe. The back of the robe enfolds the subtle contours of his body, while the central strip below the neck is incised with a single chakra or flower motif, not found elsewhere on the robe.
The arrangement of the robe where the garment is drawn across the right shoulder and tucked into a hem just below the right side of the chest is a convention also found in wall paintings from Dunhuang (cf. Duan and Fu, Zhong guo dun huang bi hua quan ji (General Collection of Dunhuang Wall Paintings in China), Shenyang, 2006, p.33, no.34). This mode re-emerged in Western Tibetan thangkas and sculptures of the 14th and 15th century (cf. Rhie & Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1996, p.81 & 87, nos.4 & 6; von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.428, no.112C; and HAR item nos. 71785, 71785 & 70672).
The vajra symbol partially sunk into the base before the Buddha is considered a reference to the time and location of his enlightenment at Bodhgaya, Northeastern India. The lotus petals are swollen and layered in a manner consistent with the style prevalent in 14th- and 15th-century Central Tibet. Compare a related figure of Shakyamuni in the Rietberg Museum (Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, p.72, no.30).
Provenance
Philip Goldman Collection, London
Sotheby's, New York, 21 March 2002, lot 160
Private Collection, New York