Page 104 - Bonhams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art March 2019

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A STONE PLAQUE WITH SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF BUDDHA These are, clockwise from bottom left: the gift of honey by a monkey
NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY at Vaisali, the first sermon at Sarnath, taming of the wild elephant
With later polychromy. at Rajagrha, mahaparinirvana at Kusinagara, the descent from
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61911 Trayastrimsa heaven at Sankasya, performing miracles at Sravasti,
3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm) high and the birth at Lumbini. Lastly, the larger central scene represents
Buddha’s defeat of Mara at Bodhgaya.
$35,000 - 45,000
These plaques played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism, having
印度東北部 帕拉時期 約十二世紀 佛陀本生故事石牌 been found in China, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. A closely related
example in Tibet, showing similar physiognomy in Buddha’s broad
Rubbed and worn to a smooth buttery patina, this intricate plaque must forehead and short neck, is preserved in the Potala Palace, Lhasa (von
have been treasured as a personal object of devotion. Portable plaques Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, p.400,
like this were produced during the Pala period in Northeastern India no.129A).
around the 11th and 12th centuries, probably as mementos for pilgrims
to the region’s famed sites. Each associated with a pilgrimage site, the Provenance
sculpture depicts the eight major events in Shakyamuni Buddha’s life. Private Asian Collection, acquired in Hong Kong, 1992

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