Page 42 - Christie's, materpieces of Buddhist Art December 2, 2015 HK

Standing Buddhas usually portray Shakyamuni, the historic
Buddha, and are one of the most iconic images of South Asian
Buddhism. Therefore, it is curious that they are a somewhat
rare genre among the cast copper images of Nepal where
bodhisattvas are more common. This example, one of the
finest known, is both large in size and exquisitely modelled. It
was on loan to The Metropolitan Museum of Art from March
1985 to June 1992 and displayed on the Great Hall Balcony. In
order to understand the ways in which the earlier model has
been subtly modified to manifest Nepalese taste and spirit, it
is worth considering Indian Gupta prototypes.
There, the Buddha stands in a frontal static posture which is
softened by a slight bend to his right leg at the knee, creating
a subtle lilt to his posture. For example, see a 6th century
standing Buddha from the Rockefeller Collection, now at
Asia Society (see D. Leidy, Treasures of Asian Art: The Asia
Society’s Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection,
New York, 1994, pp. 28-30). If his head were not straight
this would be a typical tribhanga, a thrice-bent posture
where the legs, torso and head are shown in opposition.
Typically, a long robe consisting of a wrapped length of fabric
is draped across his broad shoulders and forms a loose
opening below his neck. One end of the fabric is stretched
across his left shoulder and then falls behind across his left
shoulder blade. In some images, the outer robe falls across
the torso and legs in a series of parallel folds that visually
dematerializes the Buddha’s body, a feature that comes
out of Mathura prototypes. In other examples, such as the
sculpture from the Sarnath school, the fabric clings tightly
to the body, materializing from the negative space of nearly
equal size between the arms and body. For an example, see
a 5th century sandstone figure of the Buddha at The British
Museum (Asia OA 1880-6). In both models, a second garment
appears beneath, whose upper hem can be seen through the
first as a line above the hips and whose lower edge emerges
just below the outer robe. Typically, his forearms are parallel
to the ground and the left hand holds the gathered terminus
of one end of his robe, while his right one is raised, palm
forward, in a gesture to allay fear, or abhayamudra. Frilly pleats treatment and the hair has blue pigment between the hair
of fabric puddle near the lower hem of the robe below both of
his raised forearms.
40 Masterpieces of Buddhist Art 大俱足 — 經典亞洲佛教藝術
Our Nepalese Buddha, which undoubtedly derives from these
earlier examples, departs from this canon in interesting ways.
The figure displays a strong tribhanga, the head and hips
tilts to his right, while the torso opposes them lilting to his
left. The left forearm and hand are positioned higher than
usual, so that the gathered robe end is practically at shoulder
level. The Buddha’s right hand has dropped to his side, and is
positioned in varadamudra, the boon-bestowing gesture. The
robe is more tightly cinched around the neck like a collar and
there is no fold indicating that one end falls across his back.
Instead, the emphasis has been placed on the billowing hem
which gently wraps around the left arm, ending in a tuft of
fabric held in the hand. The neckline and hems of the robes
are articulated with a small border design of opposing, tilted
lozenges. As the right hand is lowered and the curve of the
body so exaggerated, the negative spaces on either side of the
body are unequal, with the right side being more prominent.
The outline of the bronze is more animated than that of its
prototype. The robust chest and thighs are accentuated by the
cinched waist, creating a form infused with youthful energy.
For a sculpture with similar proportions, see a 14th century
figure of Avalokiteshvara in the Victoria and Albert Museum
(IM 239-1922). Details of the draped anatomy of the Buddha
are more clearly visible: features that are usually obscured
by the cloth such as the nipples, and belly button are clearly
visible. The beautiful head has arched eyebrows, elongated
eyes, hooked nose and pursed lips typical of the Early Malla
style. The Buddha’s urna, third eye, is shown atypically as an
engraved spiral rather than a raised dot.
The Nepalese sculptor has created a unique variation on one
of the most important images in Buddhism. The large scale,
beautiful casting and exquisite finishing are commensurate
with the finest tradition of renowned Nepalese craftsmanship.
The volumes of the figure are skillfully balanced to create
a sensual and joyous image. The sculpture was originally
gilded overall and repeated handling has, overtime, worn
away areas of the gold, revealing the exquisitely rich copper
patina underneath. The face largely retains its original surface
curls, surely a sign that this sculpture was venerated in Tibet
for a time.
Steven M. Kossak
Former curator, Department of Asian Art,
Metropolitan Museum of Art