Page 34 - Sporer Collection of Himalayan bronzes

Drs. Andrew and Edita Sporer, Ghoom Monastery, Darjeeling, India, November 1973

10
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA
NEPAL, 15TH CENTURY

Finely cast seated in padmasana atop a double-lotus base, his hands resting in dhyanamudra,
wearing a thickly pleated dhoti, adorned with beaded necklaces, anklets, armlets and foliate
crown inlaid with hardstones, his face with serene expression and downcast gaze, his hair with
traces of blue polychromy piled in a high chignon topped with a knop
7Ω in. (19 cm.) high

$80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

The Sporer Collection, New Jersey, acquired by 4 March 1973

PUBLISHED:

Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24023

In Nepal, the early Malla period witnessed a steady shift away from the Licchavi style as national
consciousness grew. During this time, from 1200-1482, depictions of popular deities still retained the
simple, human forms preferred during the Licchavi period. The naturalistic proportions of the present
fgure stem from these prototypes, whereas the round fullness of the face and soft expression speak
to a subtle but more distinctly Nepalese development, in contrast to the Pala-infuenced Licchavi facial
features such as bowed lips and beak nose.

This present example demonstrates the transformation between classic Licchavi forms and the later
Malla fgures with heavier ornamentation and exaggerated proportions. One could consider the
present work to be a slightly earlier version of the 16th century Bodhisattva in the collection of William
H. Wolff (see U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan bronzes, 1981, p.376, fg.100A). Both display similar
proportions and facial type, the Wolff example displaying greater ornamentation and a more stylized
base. Certain features of the present example, such as the jewelry and fve-part foliate tiara, are
reminiscent of Newari craftsmanship in the Kathmandu valley. These echoes of the Newari tradition, as
well as the rich copper patina, give the present fgure a distinctly Nepalese elegance.

32 THE SPORER COLLECTION OF HIMALAYAN SCULPTURE