Page 8 - CHRISTIE'S Himalayan and SOutheast Asian Works of Art 09/13/17

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION

602
A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF
A SEATED BUDDHA

GANDHARA, 2ND/3RD CENTURY
37Ω in. (95 cm.) high
$30,000-50,000

犍陀羅地區 二/三世紀 灰片岩佛陀坐像

PROVENANCE

Acquired by the 1990s.
The Buddha is depicted seated in meditation on a throne showing Buddha at
center fanked by devotees and with a plush cushion of kusha grass draped
over the edges. Sacred throughout India and associated with amrita, the
nectar of immortality, kusha grass is used in traditional Indian medicine.
The blades of the kusha grass are sharp, a deterrent for insects and snakes,
making it a favorable seat for meditation. According to textual evidence,
Buddha remained in a state of meditation and fasting for seven weeks after
reaching enlightenment, seated under the Bodhi tree on a bed of grass:

I would grab a bundle of grass for myself, spread it on the vajrasana
under the Bodhi tree and sit cross-legged with the body upright. I
would practice the asphanaka meditation and stop the inhaling and
exhaling of breath and would awake from the meditation once a day:
having awoke, I would eat a half grain of sesame and give away another
half. I would practice austerities in this form until all devas up to the
Akanistha heaven and those of Saha Buddha feld would approach,
paying homage to me and would be witness to my austerities.

-I. Yamada ed., Karunapundarika, 1968, vol. I, p. 242

Note the skillful manner in which the artist has depicted the softness of the
cushion which buckles slightly under Buddha’s weight. His relaxed posture
is accentuated by the undulating folds of his robe, which delicately fan out
over the edge of his throne creating a canopy over the devotees below.
The Buddha’s face is rounded and feshy giving him a youthfulness which
with his gentle posture, conveys his serene nature and inviting presence.
Compare with a smaller gray schist fgure of a seated Buddha sold at
Christie’s New York, 15 March 2017, lot 243.

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