Page 174 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Tantra Buddhost Art

3130

PROPERTY FROM AN EAST ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION

A LARGE GILT-COPPER AND 十八至十九世紀

SILVER STUPA INLAID WITH 西藏鎏金銅及銀嵌寶銀舍利塔

SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES 喜瑪拉雅藝術資源網編號13440

TIBET, 18TH – 19TH CENTURY

the stupa with stepped lower base, adorned with figures of
the Guardians of the Four Directions on each face flanked by
addorsed snow lions, with inlaid semi-precious stones, the
four-tiered steps inscribed in Lantsa script, the silver dome
encircled with small pearls, a mandorla niche with repoussé
scrolling motif and further adorned with inlaid stone exposing
a small figure of Achala within, the spire with sun and crescent
moon finial

Himalayan Art Resources item no. 13440
51 cm, 20 in.

HK$ 200,000-300,000
US$ 25,600-38,400

The creation of stupa or reliquaries as a means to preserve of lotus petals. A further step is elegantly inlaid with semi-
and glorify the remains of important religious figures is a precious stones.
common historical practice throughout the Buddhist (and
pre-Buddhist) world, as architectural monuments and Rising from a further single row of lotus petals are four steps
later, as portable shrines. Stupa derive from ancient Indian which represent the Four Immeasurables, adorned with
burial mounds and were incorporated into Buddhism as a Lantsa inscription, likely a Buddhist invocation. A silver
containers of the relics of the Buddha and other holy figures, garbhaya or dome edged with lotus petals rests atop the four
as a reminder of his enlightenment and symbolic of his steps. This womb-shaped dome represents the original shape
physical body and teachings. They portray cosmological of reliquary mounds, later stylised to resemble an upside-
representations of the Buddhist universe, and their forms down alms bowl. The ungilt garbhaya is delicately ornamented
are doctrinally regulated—the stepped plinths represent the with a row of freshwater pearls and gilt-copper beading. Within
stepped form of Mount Meru, the centre of the Buddhist the main face of the garbhaya is a gilt copper niche adorned
cosmos, while the layers of the tall conical spire symbolise the with inlaid stone, revealing a copper repoussé protector deity
states of enlightenment. with traces of gilding and red polychromy. The harmika or
square railing marks the outer boundary of the garbhaya,
The design of a stupa, such as the current work, is based further adorned with inlaid stone and a row of lotus petals, out
upon the three-dimensional mandala. The square stupa of which arise the tiered spire representing the thirteen steps
base is adorned with a single row of lotus petals. Above of enlightened consciousness of the Buddha. The parasol or
the double-step, on each face of the stupa is a niche with chattra is depicted with undulating rows of copper beads, and
a corresponding repoussé image depicting the Guardians surmounted by a crescent moon, sun and lotus bud.
of the Four Directions—Dhritarashtra (East), Vaishravana
(North), Virupaksha (West) and Virudhaka (South). The Four Compare the stupa form and Lantsa inscription with an
Guardians protect the four torana or gates of the outer level eighteenth century thangka depicting a Vijaya Stupa, see
of the stupa as mandala. Each guardian is flanked by adorsed Gerd-Wolfgang Essen, et al., Die Gotter des Himalaya:
snow lions and filigree motifs, below a further single row Buddhistische Kunst Tibets, Munich, 1989, pp. 46-47, cat. no.
I-17.

172 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比