Page 78 - Bonhams IMages of Devotion, Hong Kong Nov 30 2022

1027 *
A GILT COPPER ALLOY SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA TRIAD
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4701
43.5 cm (17 1/8 in.) high

HKD4,000,000 - 6,000,000
清十八世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼三尊像

Provenance
Herholdt Jensen Auctioneer, Copenhagen, 1995
Danish Private Collection

This harmonious triad depicting Shakyamuni Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas,
likely Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani, presents the sage with a broad, beautifully
proportioned frame seated in tranquil meditation. The refined casting of the hands
brought together in the meditation mudra and their elegant suspension above
his lap is one of many clear markers of the bronze’s high quality. In a very distinct
manner, the Buddha is seated before an aureole, conveying his light radiating
throughout the universe, and a canopy of fruit-laden tress surmounted by a wish-
fulfilling gem, at once recalling his enlightenment under the bodhi tree and the
great bounty his auspicious presence provides.

The inspired ensemble exhibits a stylistic integration of Mongolian and Qing
registers, reflecting the political alliance between these civilizations in the 18th
century, in which Tibetan Buddhism played a pivotal role. The handsome figural
representation of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas draws from those of the
heralded Zanabazar school, which became synonymous with the independent
spirit and national pride of the Khalkha Mongols, who occupied Mongolia with its
capital at Ulan Bator. Yet subtle differences in appearance and execution, as well
as certain motifs, betray the work of an artist more accustomed to the techniques
and designs of the Qing workshops, which were primarily located in Beijing and
Dolonnor, Inner Mongolia. This distinctive triad, almost complete save for the wiry,
separately cast lotus stems that would have hugged the outer shoulders of each
bodhisattva, evokes the multiethnic and cosmopolitan character of Mongolian and
Qing Buddhist art.

* If you wish to bid on this lot, please refer to page 1 for bidding information under ‘Registration Important Notice.
請參閱圖錄首頁之「重要登記須知」以參與此拍品之競投
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