Page 140 - 2019 September 11th Christie's New York Chiense Art Himalayan bronzes and art

A Tibetan-Style Nepalese Figure of
Buddha Ratnasambhava

According to stylistic criteria, Buddha fgures are often not easy to classify materials, per tradition. This practice, which is common for Buddhist statues
chronologically. The formal characteristics of “classical” Shakyamuni and brings spiritual and religious merit, may have taken place on the occasion
sculptures, such as the current work, change only slightly over long periods of of a new consecration if the fgure was damaged or dislocated. Also per
time, especially since the ateliers of Nepalese artists often adhere to ancient tradition, the baseplate of the fnal consecration should not be opened
traditions. Often, the design of the lotus base (if intact) gives precise or for profane or even scientifc reasons. As such, a special radiographic or
additional clues to dating. For the current lot, physiognomic details, the style of tomographic analysis can be helpful to identify the casting technique and the
the folds in the robes, and the appearance of a baseplate mounted on a throne consecration materials within. However, the relatively large size of the object
base and cast together with the fgure, make an origin in the later seventeenth may present challenges for such investigations.
or earlier eighteenth century probable.
The considerable weight (approximately 25 kg) indicates a rather thick-walled
In addition to the iconographic and stylistic features, some technical peculiarities casting, a characteristic feature of other heavy statues from the seventeenth
also deserve attention. The statue was probably cast in one piece, i.e. together or eighteenth century. On the back side, the fgure has two small areas of
with the head, which in larger sculptures is usually made separately in the damage, probably original casting faws: at the base of the throne, and a few
hollow casting process (cire perdue technique) and only later, covered by the small missing parts, indicating a solid flling of the base.
fnal gilding, connected to the body. This could only be determined by a technical
examination (radiography, tomography). The lotus pedestal, no longer intact, According to the characteristic tradition of Nepalese artists, this Buddha was
was probably made of wood or clay, in the latter case in frm connection with a fre-gilt. Fire-gilding has been a historically predominant technique in Nepal,
temple altar, the probably original context of this statue. The narrow baseplate and introduced to Tibet at a very early period. To do this, gold powder was
was attached to the former lotus throne as still clearly visible with eight bolt- mixed with mercury to form a paste, which was then burned into the metal
holes. A similar pedestal technique is also known from other Buddha fgures surface under the infuence of heat. To save costs, the reverse of the statue
of a larger format from the seventeenth or eighteenth century, which are also was not gilded, as it was visible only for worship from the front. Only there
stylistically comparable. the copper-rich brown-red alloy (approximately 85-95% copper content)
becomes visible, while in Tibet and China, completely gilded sculptures
After the sculpture was separated from its original base, it was sealed again mostly consist of brass alloys with a reduced ~80% copper content).
at a later time with a copper baseplate and flled with various consecrated
by Michael Henss

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