Page 26 - Indian, Himalaya and Asian Art Bonhams Setp 2015

16
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF TARA
Tibet, Pala style, circa 12th century
Standing elegantly between sinuous lotus stems in bloom by her shoulders, she gestures
teaching and wish-granting, her diaphanous dhoti and uttariya clinging to her supple hips and
breasts, and her face and hair with remains of cold gold and blue pigment.
8 1/8 in. (20.5 cm) high
$150,000 - 250,000

西藏 帕拉風格 約十二世紀 度母銅像

Referenced
HAR - himalayanart.org/items/33013

Exhibited
Harvard University Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 2002-2008
Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA, 2010-2015

Provenance
Collection FKH, USA

These standing and seated Taras (lots 16 and 17) are superior examples of early Tibetan
sculpture drawing inspiration from Northeastern Indian Pala bronzes. They were created during
a time of prolific cultural exchange between the monastic universities of Northeastern India
and Central Tibet. Between the 10th-12th centuries, Tibetan pilgrims in search of the “pure”
form of Buddhism in the land of Buddha’s enlightenment were so moved by the philosophical
teachings and material culture at monasteries like Nalanda and Vikramshila in Bihar that they
sought to replicate it in their own culture. This transmission is known as the Chidar.

In this period, new monastic orders were created around the teachings of the Tibetan
translator Marpa (1012-1096) and Indian masters, such as Atisha (982-1054),
Padmasambhava (8th century), and Virupa (9th century) – namely the Kagyupa, Kadampa,
Nyingmapa, and Sakya orders, respectively.1 And just as Indian monastic structures and
teachings composed much of the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism, so too Pala sculpture
formed the crucible from which much of Tibetan art developed.

The Pala style, particularly of the latter 11th-12th centuries, is typified by an overall high
technical execution broaching the precision of jewelry making. Seen for example in a fine Pala
Manjushri sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 24 March 2011, lot 26, slender yet shapely waists,
sinuous lotus stems, beaded anklets, tall headdresses, and armlets, necklaces, and crowns
inspired by foliate imagery characterize the style, exemplified in our two Taras as well.

The present bronzes echo the high aesthetic accomplishments of the late Pala style. The
lotus pedestals are attempted in the round. The hands are carefully contoured and the fingers
elegant. The dhotis are sumptuous and the lotus stems spirited. The bronzes communicate the
grace, serenity, and reassurance of the deity.

While it is generally assumed that Tibetan renditions fail to exhibit the same quality in metal
casting as Northeastern Indian prototypes, even a cursory glance through the corpus of
Pala bronzes actually reveals that our two Tibetan Taras exceed the craftsmanship of many
Pala originals. Compare the level of detail, for instance, on a Pala standing Manjushri and a
seated Tara held in the Los Angeles County Museum.2

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