A GILT COPPER ALLOY HEAD OF BUDDHA


TIBET, 15TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61768 15.3 cm (6 in.) high
|西藏 十五世紀 銅鎏金佛首 Judging from its scale, weight, and quality, this glorious head of Shakaymuni would have been part of a large and important commission at a major monastery in Tibet. Its gilded surface and abstracted facial features stress the perfected wisdom of Buddha-consciousness. Sensitively modeled, this beautiful head has a serene and meditative countenance. The half-closed eyes gently look down, while fleshy and outlined lips give out a faint smile. Raised between Buddha's eyebrows is a pronounced urna, an auspicious mark alluding to his enlightened mind. For the type see von Schroeder, Buddhist Bronzes in Tibet, Vol II, Hong Kong, 2001, p.1063, no.271D. ProvenanceRobert Barley, London