Page 32 - Bonhams IMages of Devotion, Hong Kong Nov 30 2022

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A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI
NEPAL OR TIBET, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4745
23.5 cm (9 1/4 in.) high

HKD1,000,000 - 1,500,000
尼泊爾或西藏 約十五世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像

From the seat of a lotus throne, Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom turns
his palms in the gesture that signifies turning the wheel of dharma. As the
great teacher, he bears both the sword of prajna, or knowledge, and the sutra
manuscripts of Buddhist teachings blossoming on lotus flowers along each of
his arms. Like the lotus flower that arises from muddy waters from which he sits,
Manjushri cuts through ignorance to reveal an enlightened landscape free from the
veil of ignorance. His bejeweled attire signifies his noble achievements, and while
his body is adorned in luxury, his gently swaying form and contemplative face are
both simple and unadorned.

This sumptuously cast figure pays tribute to the proficiency of Newari artists and
ateliers of the Kathmandu Valley. The application of heavy gilding, the cabochon of
inlaid semi-precious stone and glass, broad shoulders, and cinched waist reveal
hallmarks of a classic Newari sculptural style, which compare closely to another
cast in the collection of William Wolff, (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981,
p. 376, no. 100A.) The square forehead which narrows and softens at the chin
and the wide eyebrows over half-closed eyelids, like that illustrated in a Maitreya in
the Nyingjei Lam Collection (David Weldon and Jane Casey Singer, The Sculptural
Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, London, 1999, pp.
114-15, pl. 24), also maintains Nepalese sculptural traditions that were largely
applied to Buddhist sculptures within Inner Asia, particularly through cultural
and commercial ties between Nepal and Tibet. As the progenitors of the most
sophisticated artistry in the Himalayas, Newari artists were often sought after for
their skill by the religious and royal elite, especially within Tibet.

Distinguishing between Kathmandu Valley works and those which were made by
Newari ateliers for Tibetan patrons can be challenging, especially when, as is the
case here, there is a blending of the sensual forms and ornamentation inherent
to Newari aesthetics with a strong emphasis on the solidity of the body preferred
by Tibetans. Special attention has been given to the lavish inlays of jewels in the
roundels and rising chevrons of the crown, in a type most closely associated with
the 14th century as illustrated in Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, 1995, p.
113, no. 64. Manjushri wears abundant jewelry of earrings, necklaces, armbands,
bracelets, anklets, inlaid sash, and a ring on his right hand, and although abundant
in ornamentation, he nevertheless retains a restraint and balance of decoration,
as the Nepalese so gracefully accomplished during the Malla period. The scale of
the present lot, though, and the inclusion of large amounts of turquoise suggests a
strong Tibetan influence and one that builds more on their own proclivities towards
style which reaches an apex in the fifteenth century. As a popular deity both within
Nepal and Tibet, the splendor of this bronze, in the balance between its aesthetic
beauty and power, speaks of the close and ongoing artistic dialogue shared
between these two regions.
Published
Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 376, no. 100C.

Provenance
Lauritz Sunde, Galleri Etnografica, Copenhagen, 1965
Private Danish Collection
Thence by descent

30 | BONHAMS