Page 369 - Chinese Art Auction April 25, 2020 2020 Galerie Zacke

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A lARge MucAlINdA shelTeRINg buddhA, Provenance: From the private Luxembourg collection of Camille Mines
sANdsTONe, NAgA PROK, 12Th ceNTuRy (1950-2018), whose father René acquired this piece in the local trade
during the early 1970s, and thence by descent. A copy of a personal
letter signed by robert Mines, dated 7 March 2019, confirming the
Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat style. Finely carved with Buddha seated on aforementioned acquisition timeframe is accompanying this lot.
the coiled naga, the seven-headed cobra rising to form a mandorla, condition: Excellent condition considering the age of this piece.
the details finely incised, the face with a serene expression, almond- Natural erosion, some wear and losses, including the missing seventh
shaped eyes and a benevolent smile.
naga head at the top of the mandorla and part of the snake’s tail at the
back, remains of black and red lacquer.
Weight: 135 kg in total approximately
Dimensions: Height 93 cm (the figure), Height 95 cm (incl. base)
Mucalinda, also Muchalinda or Mucilinda, is the name of a naga sheltering
the Buddha from the elements after his enlightenment. When a storm
raged and torrential rain fell for a whole week, the king of the nagas,
Muchalinda, rose from the earth, coiling its body to form a seat and swelled
its great hood to shelter Buddha. When the great storm had cleared, the
serpent king assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha, and
returned to his palace. Seven-headed nagas are often depicted as guardian
statues, carved as balustrades on causeways leading to main Cambodian
temples, such as those found in Angkor Wat.
Mounted on a metal base. (2)
Literature comparison: Compare with a very similar piece in the collection
of rMN Grand Palais in Paris, inventory number Ka985.
AucTION ResulT
cOMPARIsON
Compare with a related but significantly larger
(147 cm) and slightly older statue, Bayon style,
sold by Christie’s Paris in Art d’Asie on 14
December 2016, lot 24, for EUR €242,500.

estimate euR 15.000,-
Starting price EUr 7.500,-

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