Page 35 - 2020 Sept 22 Himalayin and Indian Works of Art Sotheby's NYC Asia Week

9/2/2020 Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art | Sotheby's

liberation from suffering. His earthly activity is shown in his princely attire of crown and jewelry and his relaxed posture, while
simultaneously his inward meditative gaze and the Buddha Amitabha standing in effigy in his crown suggests his spiritual
transcendence. Like the stalk of the lotus rising from his left hand and blooming over his shoulder, Avalokiteshvara arises from the
murky waters of existence as a pure and perfect being.

The Mahayana tradition of Buddhism gained prominence in India during the Gupta Empire, and after the Licchavis’s political
matrimony with the Gupta rulers had collapsed, they left India carrying Indic culture and religious practices with them into the
Kathmandu Valley. Avalokiteshvara, colloquially known in Nepal as Padmapani, “Lotus Holder”, was assimilated into the Newari
culture beginning in the 6th Century, and carried a popularity superseded only by the Buddha. Over time, the impassioned worship
of the deity in the local culture gave rise to a visual syncretism, blending the initial influences of the Gupta dynasty and Pala
dynasty into a more distinctive Newari style. Later depictions show the deity standing, hips swaying to the side, in the most
recognized and repeated form of the deity in Nepal. The present sculpture, though, is a rare and early example showing the
dominating features of the Gupta and Pala styles as they made their way into the expert hands of Newari metalworkers.

The Gupta dynasty, spanning the 4th to the 6th centuries, was known for its sensual features and harmonious contours which
strongly influenced Nepalese artistic traditions. Two examples of Gupta style bronzes, both standing images of the Buddha (see U.
von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronze, Hong Kong, 1981, pl. 45E and the Metropolitan of Art (acc. no. 69.222)), allude to the same
naturalistic flexion of the body as depicted in the Nepal Padmapani. All show a taut musculature around the torso – an assured
physicality that captures the fluid and graceful rendering of the body portrayed during the Gupta dynasty. Quiescence and
introspection characterizes the face and can be compared to the standing Sarnath figure of Khasarpana Avalokiteshvara in the
National Museum in Delhi (see S. L. Huntington, The Art of Ancient India, New York, 1985, pl. 10:22) In each a remote and inwardly
thoughtful expression is emphasized by broad arching eyebrows over wide lowered lids, prominent aquiline noses as well as
protruding lower lips with softened corners.

The later Northeastern influences from the Pala dynasty overlay the lithe contours of the Gupta style with decorative features,
adding richness, movement and ornamentation. A 9th Century Pala Avalokiteshvara from the Nalanda Museum (N. Ranjan Ray,
Eastern Indian Bronzes, India 1986, pl. 86) shows an identical crown style – the tripartite diadem with a smaller central ornament
allowing for the coiffure of matted hair to accentuate the effigy of Buddha Amitabha as the principle focus. Moreover, the styling of
the robes, particularly the draping folds over the left shoulder, the armbands placed high up along the arms and the flaming halo
behind the head show resonances closely linked with the Nepal Padmapani. Another Pala bronze depicting Vajrapani in the
National Museum in Delhi (acc. no. 47-38) shows corresponding treatment in the striped pattern of the dhoti, the styling of the
waistband with a rosette clasp and a similar wide circular shaped base incised with lotus pods.

Late Licchavi works, such as the Nepal Padmapani, although heavily relying on their Indian counterparts, are consummately
fashioned with the adeptness of Newari metalworking techniques. The Padmapani shows a harmony amongst all its elements, a
skill mastered by the Newari craftsmen. A seated Maitreya of the same period (see P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals: A Selection of
Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Collection, Los Angeles, 1977, fig. 95A), equally features a unifying effect between the contouring of
the body, patterning of incised lines and ornamental details. The warm tones of the copper and thin layering of gilding on top,
indicative of the Newari craft, renders the piece with a rich and luxuriant glow.

In effect, Padmapani shows a naturalism that balances multiple extremes: expression and restraint; movement and stillness;
earthiness and transcendence. This equilibrium can be seen in every feature of the piece. The supple flesh of the fingers open out,
while the thumb stays folded towards the palm. The body gently sways to the side while the head gently tilts in the opposite
direction. The lotus leaves of the wide base open fully along the bottom, but their tips delicately curl back towards the deity. The
flames around the halo swirl with energy but all move in the same direction, framing the tall crown and face of Avalokiteshvara.
The lotus stalk rises and contours the curve of the figure’s arm, while the fully bloomed lotus rests over the deity's shoulder. The
subtle play between these elements and each other draws the viewer, or what would have been a devotee, into a rich atmosphere
of both warmth and serenity.

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