Page 20 - Indian and Himalayan Art Mar 21, 2018 NYC

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED EUROPEAN COLLECTION

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A LARGE AND IMPORTANT SILVER-INLAID GILT BRONZE
present fgure, but has short cylindrical pins below the knees, identical to
FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI
TIBET, CIRCA 1400 those on the present fgure, which help to secure the fgure to the base. Apart
16¿ in. (40.8 cm.) high from the missing base, and a turquoise-inlaid urna, which is now missing on
$1,000,000-2,000,000 the present fgure, the two bronzes are indistinguishable in proportion and
casting technique. The present work and the example from our Hong Kong
PROVENANCE sale are undoubtedly the product of the same workshop, and were likely
Hong Kong art market, 1990s. produced around the same time, given the rarity and dificulty of the silver-
Christie’s New York, 21 March 2001, lot 78. inlay technique.
LITERATURE
Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24391 Compare the above two fgures with a related but smaller fgure, originally in
the Pan-Asian Collection and personal collection of Robert Hatfeld Ellsworth
and now in a private collection (fg. 2). The Ellsworth fgure, despite depicting
This magnifcent image of Shakyamuni Buddha, rare for its combination
a crowned Buddha, is remarkably similar in terms of sculptural decoration
of both the fre gilding and silver inlay techniques, is an exemplar of
and style. The fgure is dressed in a patchwork robe, with raised beaded
Himalayan casting technique and sculptural style. The Buddha is seated
hems in both silver and gold, and with an incised leaf pattern similar to that
in vajraparyankasana, the classical diamond posture, recalling the seminal
of the present example. While the Ellsworth fgure is predominantly silver, the
moment when he attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodhgaya
exposed skin and face of the fgure was originally covered in cold gold, creating
where the Mahabodhi Temple now stands. With his right hand, he touches the
a shimmering contrast between the silver and gold areas. The present fgure
ground in the gesture of bhumisparshamudra, asking the earth to bear witness
and the Hong Kong example magnify that contrasting efect by eschewing
to the truth of his teachings. His elongated earlobes, weighed down by the
the cold gold for luminous fre gilding. Apart from the Ellsworth example,
heavy earrings of his former princely life, represent his rejection of worldly
few other works of Tibetan sculpture combine silver and gilt decoration
goods. His simple robe, stitched from a patchwork of scraps, leaves his right
so successfully.
shoulder bare, the custom of Buddhist monks in South and Southeast Asia
when paying respect to a venerated holy site.
The present fgure, the Hong Kong bronze, and the Ellsworth example share
the same pinched waist, muscular upper body, and serene facial expression
The smooth surface retains a thick layer of gold, applied using mercury
that reveal the infuence of the Nepalese sculptural style. Indeed, the Nepalese
gilding, conveying his inner radiance. While mixed silver and gilt decorated
style was prevalent throughout much of the Himalayas in the thirteenth and
fgures were often found in the earlier bronze casting centers of North India,
fourteenth centuries, and in particular the central regions of Tibet, from which
including during the Pala period, they are incredibly rare for this early period of
the present fgure originates. The Newaris, the traditional inhabitants of the
Tibetan art. Such a technique requires masterful expertise, and this example
Kathmandu Valley, were the master bronze casters of the period, and their
embodies the virtuosity of the Tibetan bronze casters of the fourteenth and
services were patronized far and wide, including at the imperial workshops of
ffteenth centuries.
the Yuan dynasty in Beijing. While the present fgure exudes characteristics
An almost identical silver-inlaid gilt-bronze fgure of Buddha was sold at of Nepalese sculpture, the gilding and the tone of the bronze beneath identify
Christie’s Hong Kong on 31 May 2017, lot 2804 (fg. 1). The Hong Kong example this as a masterpiece made in Tibet.
was lacking the separately-cast double-lotus base, which still exists with the 西藏 約1400年 嵌銀鎏金銅釋迦牟尼坐像

Fig. 1: A gilt-bronze and silver-inlaid seated (underside of present lot) Fig. 2: A silver fgure of Buddha
fgure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Tibet, 13th- Shakyamuni, Tibet, 13th century. Private
14th century, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, collection, formerly the Pan-Asian
31 May 2017, lot 2804, for HK$50,940,000 Collection and collection of Robert
(US$6,512,679). Hatfeld Ellsworth. Image courtesy of
Carlton Rochell, New York.