Page 9 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

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A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE
OF SHAKYA SHENYEN
Tibeto-Chinese, 18th century
Seated on an antelope skin with his hands struck
in a debating pose, his head turned to engage his
audience with a knitted brow; a panel inscribed with
Tibetan attached to the lotus base.
4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
$15,000 - 20,000
藏漢 十八世紀 薩迦申巖銅像
The remains of the gold paint applied to the body
and face highlight its contours and flesh tones in
contrast to the smooth surface and deep brown of
his robe and cap - a popular device in Mongolian
and Tibeto-Chinese sculptures of the 17th and 18th
centuries. For another 18th-century Tibeto-Chinese
gold painted copper alloy sculpture of a pandita in
a similar pose, held in the Hermitage Museum, see
Rhie & Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, 1991,
p. 149, no. 37.
This charismatic portrait is a superior casting.
The debating posture and piercing gaze, is indicative
of Indian panditas or scholars who were known for
the early diffusion of Buddhist teaching in Tibet.
The small plaque at the front of the base bares
an inscription that is likely a misspelling of Shakya
Shenyen (corrected དབུས་ཀ་ིྱ སངྣ ་བརནྙ ་གང་རངུ ་།), an Indian
Buddhist scholar (c. 7th-10th century).
Referenced
HAR - himalayanart.org/items/61404
Provenance
Sotheby’s, New York, 26 March 2003, lot 80
Private Collection

INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART | 7