Page 58 - CHRISTIE'S Himalayan and SOutheast Asian Works of Art 09/13/17

Southeast Asian Sculpture and Textiles

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE WEST COAST COLLECTION

632
A SEDIMENTARY STONE STELE DEPICTING SCENES
FROM THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA

BURMA, 11TH/12TH CENTURY
7º in. (18.3 cm.) high
$25,000-35,000

緬甸 十一/十二世紀 佛本生故事小型石碑

PROVENANCE

West Coast Art Market.
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 9 March 1999.

This rare stele depicts the Buddha seated at center beneath the bodhi tree in the twelfth century. Directly infuenced by prototypes from northeastern
Bodh Gaya at the seminal moment just before he achieves enlightenment. He India, votive plaques such as the present work demonstrate the infuence
is surrounded by six fgures representing the seven weeks Buddha meditated of the Pala-period aesthetic on the surrounding regions, particularly Tibet,
in diferent locations around Bodh Gaya. The peripheral scenes illustrate Nepal and Burma (see S. Kossak, “A Group of Miniature Pala Stelae from
diferent signifcant events from his life, culminating at the top with his Bengal,” Orientations, July/August 1998, pp.19-27). The presence of “Om Ah
achievement of parinirvana in death. Hum” amongst various mantras carved into the verso suggests this work
was worshiped by Tibetan devotees. Compare the overall image with an
Stylistically, the Buddha’s wide, square-shaped face, which rests on a thick eleventh/twelfth century Burmese stele in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
neck over a stocky torso, relates to the original eleventh/twelfth century (2015.500.4.23) and a Pala style stele with an almost identical iconographic
sculpture of Buddha in the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya, destroyed in narrative in the Rubin Museum of Art (C2005.4.2).

(verso)