Footnotes

Provenance:
An important European Collection.
Acquired from Koller, Zürich, by the father of the present owners (by repute), thence in the family by descent.

尼泊爾 1664年（據銘文） 銅鎏金錘揲釋迦牟尼像

來源
歐洲重要私人珍藏.
現藏家之父得自闊樂拍賣行（傳），蘇黎世，後經家族流傳至今.

The finely engraved dedicatory inscription along the lower part of the pedestal identifies this Buddhist bronze as an image of the Vajrāsana Tathāgata and records that it was made in the year 1664.

The epithet Vajrāsana Tathāgata refers to the Buddha in his aspect as the one who attained enlightenment at Vajrāsana, the "Diamond Seat" beneath the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya. The term combines Vajrāsana, denoting the sacred site of awakening, with Tathāgata, a title the Buddha used for himself, meaning "Thus-Gone" or "Thus-Come One". This epithet highlights both the historical and spiritual significance of the Buddha's enlightenment and is often used in ritual, doctrinal, and iconographic contexts, particularly within Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions.

The use of dedicatory inscriptions in Himalayan statuary is grounded in the Buddhist principle of generosity, or dāna, a core ethical and spiritual practice. In Mahāyāna soteriology, dāna is recognized as the first of the six perfections (pāramitā) that guide the bodhisattva path. Giving, especially to monastic communities, is understood to generate puṇya or merit, which benefits the donor both in this life and future rebirths. These inscriptions offer valuable insights into the lived dimensions of merit-making, often recording the identity of donors and the intended recipients of the merit, thereby illustrating the reciprocal dynamics of merit-transfer.

In the present case, the finely made gilt figure was commissioned by a donor named Rubusiṅa as part of posthumous rituals performed on behalf of his deceased father. It is therefore plausible that the statue was offered to Siko Mugudi Monastery, where Rubusiṅa's father is said to have resided, though it remains unclear whether he was formally ordained as a monk. Siko Mugudi refers to a Buddhist monastery located a short distance away from the well-known so-called Wooden Pavilion or Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapa in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The name "Siko Mugudi" is, in fact, the original Newari designation for what was later Sanskritized as Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapa. Literally meaning "public meeting place under a tree," the term draws from the Newari word si, which denotes both "tree" and "wood". This semantic overlap likely contributed to the later mistranslation of the name into Sanskrit as Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapa (i.e., "wooden pavilion"). Because the monastery is situated near this communal gathering spot, it came to bear its name.

The modern name "Kathmandu" is derived from "Kasthamandap," a vernacular adaptation of the Sanskrit term Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapa. This historic structure was severely damaged during the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, leading to its complete collapse. In the aftermath, a significant reconstruction initiative was undertaken, grounded in local heritage conservation practices and prioritizing the use of traditional materials and craftsmanship. The restored pavilion was formally reopened to the public in 2022.

The inscription reads:
uṃ svastu saṃvat 785 pausalā gāka catudaśi kuhnu siko mugudi bāhāla che tapādevaju moka dina putra ruṃbusiṃṅana dakiryāyāta rācakaṃ, varja āsana tathāgata patimā dayakā juro || śubha ||

And may be translated as:
'Oṃ! May it be auspicious! Tapādevaju, the resident of the Siko Mugudi Buddhist monastery, passed away on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the Pauṣa month of [Nepal] Samvat 785 (CE 1664). Rubusiṅa, his son, commissioned this image of Vajrāsana Tathāgata in advance of the one-year death ritual.'

Bonhams would like to thank Dr. Yannick Laurent for the research and Gautama V. Vajracharya for the transliteration and translation.