Page 24 - Christies Alsdorf Collection Part 1 Sept 24 2020 NYC

崇聖御寶 - 詹姆斯及瑪麗蓮 ·阿爾斯多夫珍藏

Nepal’s crucial geographic location in the Himalayas has meant that it has always 尼泊爾位處喜馬拉雅山脈，接壤印度、西藏，毗鄰中國，長
served as a point of contact between the cultures of India to the south and Tibet and 久匯聚諸國文化。首府加得滿都谷地人口密集，三面環山，
China to the north. The high mountains that surround the principal population center, 形成抵禦外族侵略的屏障，宗教文化保存完好。尼泊爾人同
the Kathmandu Valley, have mostly protected the region from foreign intervention 時信奉印度教及佛教，在其他族群鮮見。尼泊爾採納種姓制
and enabled the development of rich religious traditions. Both Buddhism and Hinduism 度，當中尼瓦爾人普遍信奉金剛乘佛教，惟造像風格傾向兩
are practiced side by side with a harmony between its practitioners rarely found in 教合一，藝術作品印、佛元素兼容並蓄。
other communities. While most members of the Newari artisan caste practiced
Vajrayana Buddhism, they nonetheless crafted images for both Hindu and Buddhist 尼瓦爾人藝術造詣非凡，金工名師巨匠輩出，享譽喜馬拉雅
patrons, and there is thus a syncretic style in the sculpture of Nepal, regardless of the 地區各國，屢獲委託訂製重要神佛銅像。尼瓦爾金匠尤擅火
represented deity. 鎏金法，先以熱熔的金混合水銀，再施塗於銅胎，效果超然
拔類，鎏金華彩熠燿，造像倍添生氣。胎料多用紅銅，捨黃
Newari craftsmen were amongst the finest metalworkers in all of the Himalayas and
銅及青銅，密度雖略遜餘者，但勝在質感細膩，柔美自然，
were sought out and commissioned by other countries with a demand for bronze
images. The renown of the Nepalese bronze workers was based in part on their mastery 讓神祇造型更加傳神。
of fire gilding, whereby red hot gold is fused with mercury and applied to the image,
本尊象頭神象氣韻生動，神采飛揚，帶婆羅門教地區造像風
creating a vibrant quality in the gilding. Nepalese sculptors also worked predominantly
格。象有四臂，王者自在坐姿，左前臂垂擱大腿，手執一
with copper, rather than brass or bronze; while less durable than those metals, the
盌歡喜團。右前臂輕觸右膝，掌心扣一斷牙。象鼻繞過㑚
softness of the copper allowed for a sense of vitality to be imbued into the cast figures.
伽形神聖繒帶，往盌伸探一顆歡喜團。象神眼簾半攏，笑容
The present four-armed, elephant-headed Ganesha is an elegant and charming 溫婉，和顏悅色，神態自若。造像活靈活現，滿富動感，整
example of a Brahmanical sculpture from the region. Seated in a posture of royal ease 體氛氳柔和，細節刻劃入微，不論瓔珞寶釧、繫帶帔帛，抑
(maharajalilasana), his main left-hand rests on his thigh, holding a bowl of globular 或多葉寶冠，皆使人目不暇給。象神頭頂盤髻，稍留數束螺
sweetmeats (modaka). His main right-hand rests on his raised right leg, holding his 旋形髮卷散落兩肩，蛇形寶釧環滿臂、腕、足。造像結構工
broken tusk. His prehensile trunk reaches across the serpent that forms the sacred thread 整，比例勻稱，雕琢精細，極為典雅，神祇形象維肖維妙，
to pick up a modaka. With heavy-lidded eyes and happy disposition, Ganesha sits in
氣氛莊嚴神聖。
ease with his upper arms raised, the drapery, head and ear ornaments, and the peak of
his diadem all lending a sense of lightness and movement to this seated figure. His hair 同類象頭神像可參考一例，與本像造型相若，兩者面相及寶
is piled up in jatamukuta with loose strands flowing down gracefully over his shoulder. 冠布局如出一轍，惟該像呈遊戲坐姿，有別於本像之王者坐
He wears snake wristlets and armlets that are complimented by snake anklets around his 姿，於紐約佳士得拍賣，2012年3月20日，拍品編號91。
feet. The undulating flesh of this perfectly proportioned Ganesha is tender, with each
element beautifully melting into the other, making it an inviting and serene image of
the elephant god.
Compare the present figure with a very similar example sold at Christie’s New
York, 20 March 2012, lot 91; while the legs are held in lalitasana in contrast to
the maharajalilasana of the present work, the overall modeling of the figure and the
treatment of the face and diadem are particularly similar.

A bronze figure of Ganesha,Nepal,
circa 14th century; sold Christie’s
New York, 20 March 2012, lot 91.
銅象頭神坐像，尼泊爾，十四世紀
前後，於紐約佳士得拍賣，2012年
3月20日，拍品編號91。

22 PART I