Page 54 - Bonhams, Indian and Himalayan Art New York July 23, 2020

With the term “Ya tse”, the bronze’s inscription refers to the Khasa
Malla kingdom by its Tibetan name, discussed in detail by Amy Heller
(Heller, 2013). The inscription also explains that the bronze was
created as a pious gift from a Khasa Malla king to an as-yet-identified
monastery. Heller suggests two possible rulers who may have
commissioned this statue, Punya Malla (fl.1330-1340), and his son,
Pritivi Malla, (fl.1340-1355), which might narrow the time of production
to the second quarter of the 14th century.

The bronze exhibits many of the defining characteristics now used
to identify Khasa Malla bronzes since the first was recognized by
Ian Alsop in 1994 (see Alsop, “The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa
Malla Kingdom” in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art: Towards
a Definition of Style, London, 1997, pp.68-79). For example, these
are a lotus base with plump, multilobed petals, a prominent beaded
upper rim, and a plain back painted with red lacquer. Also, the sash
resting before his ankles is cast as part of the base, rather than the
figure, which is more common in neighboring sculptural traditions.
His knuckles are well-defined in what is considered the most
convincing stylistic indicator of the Khasa Malla style, and his figure
and countenance are characteristically well-nourished more so than
neighboring styles.

In fact, his face and figural type so clearly match the treatment of
another inscribed Khasa Malla bronze in the National Museum of
Art, Washington, D.C.—believed to represent the wife of Pritivi Malla,
Queen Dipamala (fig.1; F1986.23)—that it further suggests the
likelihood this bronze is part of a royal subgroup produced under, or
contiguous to, Pritivi Malla’s reign. Two other gilt bronzes that likely
belong to this group are a Bhaisajyaguru sold at Sotheby’s, Paris, 23
June 2016, lot 137 and a Manjushri sold at Koller, Zurich, 13 June
2017, lot 111—all four showing considerable artistic flair as some of Fig. 1
the finest Khasa Malla sculptures of their scale yet identified. However, Queen as the Goddess Prajnaparamita
the present lot is the only Khasa Malla sculpture so far known to bear Gilt copper
an inscription that explicitly states it was commissioned by (and not for) Nepal, 14th century
a Khasa Malla king. 8 in. (20.3 cm) high
National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
Purchase - Charles Lang Freer Endowment (F1986.23)

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