Page 46 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

25
A GILT COPPER REPOUSSÉ FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA
Nepal, circa 16th century
Reclining into ‘royal ease’ while displaying the gesture of teaching with an attentive gaze.
17 in. (43.2 cm) high
$300,000 - 500,000

尼泊爾 約十六世紀 銅鎏金錘疊菩薩像

This masterpiece of Nepalese repoussé sculpture couches the bodhisattva in regalia,
bedecked with inset semi-precious stones of diverse colors. His figure is composed with a
naturalistic sense of his weight resting on his left arm with a slight bend. The nuanced spread
of his plump toes encapsulate the essence of his rajalilasana posture. The left are completely
relaxed, bent upwards from resting against the heel of his right foot. While, the right big toe is
struck erect; the bodhisattva enjoys the splendid bliss of his enlightened consciousness whilst
also ready to rise to alleviate the suffering of another at a moment’s notice.

His posture is commonly associated with figures of Indra. However, he does not bear the
tall single-section crescent crown or the horizontal third-eye prescribed for the god. On the
contrary, his turquoise inset urna and five-section Vajrasattva-type crown, and a vajra finial
behind it, are indicative of Buddhist sculpture, and this bodhisattva was originally paired
with a figure of Syamatara when sold by Sotheby’s, New York, 1 December 1993, lot 25.

With few inscribed examples, dating Nepalese sculpture is always a challenge. However, a
dancing girl in the Alsdorf Collection has the same jeweled belt and broad pleated scarf ends.
She is dated to the 15th century by Alsop in ‘Repoussé in Nepal’, in Orientations, Vol. 17, No.
7, 1986, p. 22. Also compare the scale and quality to a Prajnaparamita, dated to the 15th
century, in the Walzer Collection (Huntington, Circle of Bliss, Columbus, 2003, p. 126 , no. 23).

Meanwhile, the garment’s incised floral patterns and the profusion of stone inlay are generally
considered characteristics of the 16th and 17th centuries. Compare with two Taras from the
Avery Brundage Collection in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 381,
nos. 102C and G. Also compare the quality and detail of a Buddha Dipankara group, dated
1612, in a private collection (ibid, p. 383, pl. 103B).

Referenced
HAR - himalayanart.org/items/61430

Provenance
Private Cleveland Collection by 1981
Sotheby’s, New York, 1 December 1993, lot 24
Christie’s, New York, 19 September 2002, lot 182
Christie’s, New York, 16 September 2008, lot 514
Private Collection

44 | BONHAMS