Page 123 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A CAST AND REPOUSSÉ GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A SMALL GILT-COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF
SYAMATARA, DOLLONOR, QING DYNASTY, 18 SYAMATARA, TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY
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CENTURY Cast and chased copper alloy with massive fire gilding
Cast bronze statue with massive fire-gilding and neatly and remainders of old pigments. The base originally
incised detail work. Several parts such as the bands, sealed
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earrings, lotus flower holders executed in copper repoussé. Tibet, 15 -16 century
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Remainder of old pigments. Inlaid turquoise and coral
pearls. The base with old, most likely original sealing Elegantly seated in lalitasana on a double-lotus pedestal,
Dollonor, Qing Dynasty, 18 century the hands in varada mudra and vitarka mudra, flanked
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by two lotuses rising to the shoulders, the serene face
This beautiful sculpture depicts the young goddess framed by an elaborate tiara and earrings, wearing a
Syamatara, who is venerated as a liberator, able to free dhoti delicately adorned with beaded necklaces, armlets
devotees from the chain of birth and rebirth and all the and bracelets.
suffering that ensues. In myth, she emerged from the
tears of Avalokiteshvara as he wept for the suffering The present lot demonstrates an excellent craftsmanship
of all sentient beings. It is a testament to her supreme of the 15th century by showing a well-proportioned
compassion and agency. As such, she is depicted with body with an elegantly-curved torso and a delicate
her right leg outstretched, ready to respond to one’s execution on the jewel adornments. Tara is represented
suffering, and her right hand in the gesture of charity. here as an elegant and slender goddess, superbly cast
The figure sits in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with long graceful fingers, finely chased details and inset
with both hands held in vitarkamudra. Clad in a flowing turquoise and coral jewelry. Her crown supports a single
dhoti with hems neatly incised with a foliate pattern and strand of pearls that loops across her forehead.
adorned with various jewelry. The face shows a serene
expression and the hair is pulled into a tall chignon. The spiritual and compassionate Tara is highly
The exquisitely worked, separate lotus stems, bands and revered in Tibet as a female Bodhisattva, considered
earrings are hallmarks of the finest work from Dolonnor as the Goddess of Universal Compassion and the
in Inner Mongolia, which catered to the rapid expansion manifestation of the actions of all Buddhas. There are
of Tibetan Buddhist temples along the border regions of twenty-one forms of Tara and the two most popular
the Qing empire, particularly under the Qianlong emperor ones are the Green Tara, or Syamatara, and the
(1735-1795). However, there is flair and creativity about White Tara. Green Tara has the special power to help
the present sculpture that may indicate it even slightly overcome dangers, fears and anxieties as well as grant
predates his reign. wishes. It is venerated as a liberator from samsara,
the chain of birth and rebirth in the illusory material
Shape: Statue realm. According to myth, she emerged from the
Weight: 302 grams tears of Avalokiteshvara as he wept for the suffering
Dimensions: Height 20,5 cm of all sentient beings. It is a testament to the supreme
Condition: Good original condition. Some inlaid coral and compassion and agency she embodies. As such she
turquoise pearls as well as parts of the left band and the is depicted with her right leg outstretched, ready to
lotus flowers missing respond to one’s suffering, and her right hand in the
Provenance: Hungarian private collection. Old collector gesture of charity.
label with description on the bottom
Shape: Statue 15/16ᶾ䲨挷慹戭⎰慹䵈⹎㭵⁷
Literature comparison: The treatment of common stylistic Weight: 214 grams 戭⎰慹炻挷慹梥㺧炻⸽⹏⍇⮩
features, such as the large pendant earrings, long chain Dimensions: Height 11,2 cm 大啷炻15-16ᶾ䲨
necklace, and the broad, smooth lotus petals around the Condition: Outstanding condition with some wear and ⃒晭⛘⛸⛐暁咖剙⣑䌳⹏ᶲ炻ㇳ⏰咖剙㊯冯ⶫ㕥⌘炻ℑ㜇咖剙攟军偑㕩炻厗渿䘬柕梦⍲
base, compare favorably with a Manjushri in the Rietberg traces of age as expected on a piece from this period, 俛⡄ᶳ㚱叿⬱娛䘬朊⭡炻㏕惵⾝䎈枭拲ˣ兪䪈⍲ㇳ䑘ˤ
Museum, and figures of Ushnishavijaya and Maitreya some of the inlaid corals and turquoises missing. 忁⮲⹎㭵⁷䨈举⎰⹎䘬幓幨冯⃒晭⟹✳䘬⦧ン炻㏕惵䳘兑晽⇣䘬䎈⮞惵ẞ炻⬴伶䘬⯽䎦
in the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, New Remainders of old pigments 䘬15ᶾ䲨䘬晽⇣ⶍ喅ˤ⹎㭵䁢ᶨ檀屜⮲䇝䘬䤆䣯炻㚱叿ᾖ攟䘬ㇳ㊯炻䱦䶣晽⇣⍲搚⳴䘬
York (see Uhlig On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, Provenance: Hungarian private collection 䎈⮞惵ẞˤ⤡䘬柕ⅈᶲ㚱ᶨᷚ䑘⼊䘬䍵䎈ˤ
1990, p.114, no.65; and Lipton & Ragnubs, Treasures of ⛐大啷炻℟㚱ヰず⣏ッ䘬㜄㭵ḇ塓⮲䧙䁢⤛厑啑ˤ⹎㭵ℙ㚱21䧖㱽䚠炻℞ᷕ㚨䞍⎵䘬䁢
Tibetan Art, New York, 1996, pp.116 & 140, nos.51 & 68, Literature comparison: Casey Singer & Denwood, 䵈⹎㭵ẍ⍲䘥⹎㭵ˤ䵈⹎㭵傥妋㓹ℓ⣏劎暋炻㴰昌䛦䓇䄑゙炻㺧嵛栀㯪ˤ
respectively). Further examples in the Kandell Collection Toward a Definition of Style, p. 74, no. 52. (for a ⼊䉨烉⹎㭵⁷
are published in Rhie & Thurman, A Shrine for Tibet, New Dakini held in The Los Angeles County Museum of Art 慵慷烉214⃳
York, 2010, pp.76-9, nos. I-14a, b & I-15a, b. (M85.221), showing a comparable treatment of the ⯢⮠烉檀11.2⍀䰛
base’s lotus petals) Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, ⑩䚠⬴⤥炻冯⸜ẋ䚠䫎炻ᶨṃ搚⳴䘬䍲䐂⍲䵈⮞䞛仢⣙炻冲⍇㕁ˤ
Auction result comparison: Fine Chinese Ceramics and p. 153, p. 98. (for a comparable base of a 14th century ⊰䈁⇑䥩Ṣ㓞啷
Works of Art. Christies, New York, 16 September 2016, lot figure of Ushnishavijaya in the Museum Rietberg) 㔯䌣⍫侫烉ᶨẞ⎗⍫侫䘬匤⎱⯤⁷夳Casey Singer & Denwood叿˪Toward a Definition
1231. (for another Qianlong cast and repoussé Syamatara) of Style˫炻䫔74枩炻䶐嘇52ˤ⎎ᶨẞ14ᶾ䲨䘬⮲⊅ἃ㭵⁷⍫夳Uhlig 叿˪On the Path to
IMAGES OF DEVOTION. Bonham’s, 3 October 2017, Auction result comparison: ARTS D’ASIE. Sotheby’s, 23 Enlightenment˫炻䫔153枩炻䶐嘇98ˤ
HONG KONG, lot 36. (for another Dollonor Syamatara) JUNE 2016, PARIS, lot 132. (for a comparable copper
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alloy statue dated to the 14 /15 century, with the EstimateġEUR 1.500,-
18ᶾ䲨㶭ẋ曺戭挷慹䵈⹎㭵 same size and motif) Starting price EUR 750,-
曺戭炻挷慹⍂⮎炻拦剙晽⇣炻䍲䐂⍲䵈㜦䞛䎈搚⳴炻⸽悐ㅱ
䁢⍇⮩
Dollonor㔯⊾炻㶭㛅炻18ᶾ䲨
⑩䚠列⤥炻悐↮㛸㕁仢⣙
⊰䈁⇑䥩Ṣ㓞啷
EstimateġEUR 1.000,-
Starting price EUR 500,-

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