Footnotes

A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRADHARA
TIBET, 14TH CENTURY

西藏 十四世紀 銅鎏金金剛總持像

Provenance:
With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s

Vajradhara is the primordial source from which all wisdom and compassion originate, and is here nobly depicted in the upright-seated, 'adamantine-throne' position (vajraparyankasana). Since his true, dharmakaya form is empty and ineffable to the unenlightened mind, Vajradhara is represented with an appealing 'reward body' (sambhogakaya), which portrays the bliss that comes from experiencing the dharma for oneself, while also offering a supple body adorned with resplendent jewelry and sumptuous clothing for the enjoyment and contemplation of practitioners. Vajradhara crosses his hands over his heart in vajrahumkara mudra, which symbolizes the perfect unity of wisdom and compassion needed to understand—and dissolve into—his true dharmakaya existence.

There are many characteristics of this inviting gilt bronze that reflect the Nepalese tradition of image-making from the Kathmandu Valley. For example, Vajradhara's wide forehead and broad shoulders, combined with the delicate modelling of his fingers and toes, are classic elements of Newari sculpture. The relatively modest application of jewelry and the mostly un-patterned sheer lower garment both allow large swathes of his sensuous physique to be admired without visual obstruction, epitomizing a core Newari aesthetic rooted in Indian devotional art. More specifically, the incised floral scroll decoration that is applied to the hems of his garment, in addition to the looped sash wrapped around his tapered waist, are characteristic of Newari sculptures produced for worship in Nepal in the 14th century, such as an Indra sold at Christie's, New York, 17 March 2015, lot 11.

On the other hand, the construction of the lotus base to accommodate and seal inserted consecrations, the lapis painted within the hair, and the choice of opaque turquoise settings instead of translucent gemstones betray Tibetan religious beliefs and practices, indicating that the Newari master-craftsman produced this handsome sculpture for a Tibetan patron. A group of similar 14th-century Newari-Tibetan bronzes located in Shalu Monastery are published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, pp. 959-63, nos. 229C, 230B-C, & 231E). Additionally, see a gilt-bronze image of Manjushri sold at Sotheby's, New York, 23 March 2007, lot 55.