Page 96 - 2019 September 11th Christie's New York Chiense Art Himalayan bronzes and art

344
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI ON A
STEPPED THRONE
TIBET, 14TH CENTURY
5¡ in. (13.7 cm.) high

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE
The collection of Cheng Huan, SC, Hong Kong, 1990s, by repute.
The present fgure of Buddha Shakyamuni calling the earth to witness
to his enlightenment is fnely cast, despite its small size, with a delicate
face, well-articulated hands and feet, and a robust torso covered in
a diaphanous sanghati draped over the shoulder with natural looking
folds. The richly-gilded fgure is unmistakably inspired by Malla-period
images Nepalese of the historical Buddha, and the short neck indicates
the work was likely modeled directly or indirectly after the principle
image of Buddha at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, which was
said to have a had a short neck.
The addorsed lions on either side of the stepped base, however, are
distinctly Tibetan in style. The three inlaid stones between them
represent the three jewels and three sources of refuge in Buddhist
philosophy—the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha—a symbol
common to all Buddhist traditions.
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24537.

96