STATUETTE DE MANJUSHRI AVEC SHAKTI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ

Népal, XVIIe siècle

Footnotes

The three-headed and eight-armed manifestation of Manjushri is seated upon a lotus base with gently curled petals and beaded rims, his primary pair of hands holding the vajra and vajra bell, signifying the inseparable union of wisdom and compassion. His other hands radiate outward in rhythmic symmetry, each holding his distinctive attributes: the sword of wisdom, the three jewels, a lotus flower, a bow, and the Dharmachakra wheel. His youthful Shakti, Sarasvati, is seated gracefully upon his left knee in lalitasana, she embodies eloquence, poetry, and music, which are qualities that perfectly complement Manjushri's wisdom.

Profound reverence is accorded to Manjushri particularly within the milieu of Buddhism practiced in the Kathmandu Valley. The narrative of the clearing of the Kathmandu Valley and how the Bodhisattva drained the primordial lake to make the valley habitable for human settlement, is preserved in the Svayambhu Purana, one of the oldest texts of Newar Buddhism. Sarasvati, originally a Hindu goddess, was incorporated into the Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist pantheon in Nepal, especially in Newar culture, often as the consort or companion of Manjushri. Seen here, the present sculpture embodies the syncretism of religious iconography that is typical of this geographical area.

The style of the present sculpture is unmistakably Newar, distinguished by the delicate modelling of the faces, the supple treatment of the bodies, and the naturalistic rendering of the robes that flow fluidly over the legs of both figures, pooling into graceful pleats at the ankles. The elaborate pointed headdresses and bejewelled adornments exemplify the style of 17th-century Kathmandu Valley ateliers.

Comparable examples include a three-headed, eight-armed Manjushri with Shakti (HAR 30139) from Walter Arader Asian Art, and a Vajradhatu Vagishvara Manjushri with consort (Koller Auctions, 6 May 2014, lot 139) from the same period. Both share the same stylistic vocabulary seen here including the lush modelling of the lotus base with the beaded top rims, the fine articulation of ornamentation and facial features, as well as the naturalism of both figures' robes that cascade fluidly, pooling at the ankles in neat pleats.

Provenance
Claude De Marteau, Brussels, 1971.
Private Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above (recorded in a 1985 insurance document);
Thence by descent.

尼泊爾 十七世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩與夏克提像

來源
克勞德‧德‧馬圖（Claude De Marteau），布魯塞爾，1971年
比利時私人收藏，購於上者 （記錄於1985年保險文件）
後由家族傳承