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Lot 3205
A GILT COPPER FIGURE OF MAITREYA NEPAL, 14TH CENTURY
20 March 2018, 18:30 EDT
New YorkSold for US$468,500 inc. premium
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A GILT COPPER FIGURE OF MAITREYA
NEPAL, 14TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61523
12 5/8 in. (32 cm) high
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61523
12 5/8 in. (32 cm) high
Footnotes
尼泊爾 十四世紀 銅鎏金彌勒菩薩立像
The presence of the kundika vase crowning the resplendent lotus flower by his left shoulder identifies this idealized young prince as the future Buddha Maitreya. His supple and sinuous body is contrasted with robust arms: the right with an upraised frontal gesture of explication vitarka mudra, the left pendent, which would have held the lotus stem. As with a smaller example formerly in the Heeramaneck Collection sold at Christie's, 18 September 2013, lot 298, the present Maitreya wears a stylized antelope skin over the left shoulder, large roundels in the crown, and lozenge armbands.
Although equally vital to popular Buddhist practice, standing Maitreya images are relatively rare by comparison to more common bronzes of Avalokiteshvara Padmapani. This most elegant form of a standing bodhisattva maintained its popularity in Nepal until at least the 16th century, being applied to various deities including Manjushri. Compare, for instance, a Padmapani within the same publication as the present lot (Cast for Eternity, p. 125, no. 36), where the attribute within the flower is the only differentiating element. In writing about the two bodhisattvas for the exhibition catalog, Ian Alsop explains (ibid, p.124):
"The thirteenth century marks the beginning of the period of the Malla kings who reigned over the Kathmandu valley until the end of the eighteenth century... The Malla period in general was a period of overall political stability punctuated by internecine squabbles between the various principalities of the Nepal Valley. It was a time of considerable prosperity, nourished by the valley's fertility and by a lucrative trade with Tibet and India. It was also a time of great artistic activity, and Newar artists prospered through the patronage of the devout of the Kathmandu valley, the various noble houses there, and the wealthy lamas who eagerly sought the renowned Newar artists."
The Maitri Maitreya exudes all the qualities of the classic early Malla period with its perfectly balanced tribhanga and long rippling sashes. Its jewelry is detailed with glistening inset semiprecious stones, and its warm and smooth chocolate brown patina has been formed over centuries of pious adoration.
Published
Spink & Son Ltd, Octagon, A Quarterly Journal for Discerning Collectors, XIV, 4, Winter 1977, London, p.27.
Jean and Marcel Nies, 10 jaar Galerie De Ruimte. Zomertentoonstelling, Galerie De Ruimte (brochure), Eersel, 1981, frontcover.
Jean and Marcel Nies, Himalayan Art. Sculptures, Tangkas and Ritual Objects from Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Western Himalaya, Galerie De Ruimtse, Eersel, 1982, p.4.
Marcel Nies, Spirit of Compassion: Himalayan Images of the Past, Present and Future, 1995, pp.26-7.
Marcel Nies, Buddhists, Hindus and Jains, Marcel Nies Oriental Art, Antwerp, 2003, pp.34-5.
Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity: Bronze Masterworks from India and the Himalayas in Belgian and Dutch Collections, Antwerp, 2005, p.122, no.35.
Exhibited
Cast for Eternity: Bronze Masterworks from India and the Himalayas in Belgian and Dutch Collections, Ethnographic Museum, Antwerp, 12 April - 26 June 2005.
Provenance
Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1977
Collection of J. Gelpey, 1977-1979
Galerie De Ruimte, Eersel
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. J. Meijer, Netherlands, 1981-2010
Marcel Nies Oriental Art, Antwerp, 1 December 2010