Page 20 - Fine Asian Art, Bonhams San Francisco June 27, 2017
P. 20

8020                                                                     8021

8020                                                                     8021
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA                                     A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA
Nepal, 16th/17th century                                                 Nepal, 14th century
Depicting the standard iconography of the Sakyamuni Buddha attired       Raised on a double lotus plinth, his right hand in the bhumisparsa
in monks robes seated in dhyasana holding his right hand in the          gesture of earth-witness while his left rests in meditation on his
bhumisparsa gesture of ‘earth witness’ and clasping an alms bowl         upturned feet folded in the standard dhyanasana posture, the figure
in his left hand relaxed on his lap, raised upon a crisply cast double   displaying areas of wear to the gilt consistent with age and adoration.
lotus plinth.                                                            4in (10cm) high
6in (15.2cm) high
                                                                         US$2,000 - 3,000
US$8,000 - 12,000
                                                                         8022
The lotus base, with its separately cast lower half affixed on the       A GROUP OF SIX GILT JEWELRY AND RITUAL ITEMS
interior, is typical of Nepalese pieces produced for Tibetan Buddhist    Tibet and Nepal, 19th/20th century
patrons. See the 15th century prototype to this figure in Ulrich         The first a ring supporting a large coral cabochon carved in raised
Von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes (Hong Kong: Visual Dharma            relief to depict Ganesh, the second a similar ring supporting an
Publications, 1981) 362-363, no 97E, as well as the more elaborate       uncarved coral cabochon, the third, fourth, and fifth a group of
17th century figural group of Cakrasamvara (Op. Cit.) 386-387, no        counters for a mala rosary, including a short string of small gilt beads
105E-- the latter sharing a nearly identical base with the present lot.  suspending a miniature phurbu ritual dagger, a gilt vajra linked to a
                                                                         kartika ritual chopper, a visvajra with one prong replaced by a bell,
                                                                         and the sixth a teardrop-shaped amulet covered in a depiction of the
                                                                         Avalokiteshvara Shadakshari and reversed by a makara-head formed
                                                                         in coral, turquoise and gilt filigree.
                                                                         2in (5cm) width of last

                                                                         US$1,000 - 1,500

                                                                         Compare to similar rings illustrated in Rhie & Thurman, A Shrine for
                                                                         Tibet, New York, 2009, p.280.

                                                                         Provenance
                                                                         Grace Collection, US since mid-late 1990s

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