A large gilt-bronze Buddhist Trinity group


Nepal, dated 1832 and of the periodThe central figure in a three-headed and six-armed form, seated with his consort in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, holding various Buddhist attributes including a sword, vajra and ghanta, wearing a multi-crowned headdress, roundel earrings, and a long beaded necklace with armlets and bracelets, a gently folded dhoti and celestial scarf, his shakti seated on his left knee in lalitasana, seated either side on lotus bases further forms of Manjusri and retinue figures, the entire group surrounded by sworling scrollwork and seated on a rectangular openworked tiered base decorated in relief with yakshas, the reverse of the base with inscription.36cm (14 1/6in) wide, 30cm (11 4/5n) high. (9).
|尼泊爾 1832年銘 銅鎏金背光供佛一組Provenance: a distinguished English private collection來源： 顯貴英國私人收藏This sculpture depicts Manjushri in the form of Dharmadhatsuvajisvara seated at the centre in dhyanasana (meditation) with his female consort Sarasvati with hands in varadamudra and abhayamudra, surrounded by other forms of Manjusri and retinue figures. Compare with a related Nepalese gilt-bronze group depicting Manjusri and consort, dated 1816, which was sold at Christie's London, 10 November 2006, lot 260.The translation appearing on the reverse and side of the group reads as:Namomitaprabhāpate mune: sukhāvatīvāsite cānukarāpa/ sukhāvatī Kanakavi-citrakānanā// manoramā sugatasutairalaṃkṛtā/ tathā cāśuyā prathitayaśasyadhīmataḥ prabhā- sitam bahumuni ratnasaṃcanā// śreyostu// samvat 952 mti bhādrapadamāse kṛṣṇapakṣe ekādaśyāntithauśivayoge yathākarṇṇamūhurte bṛhaspativāsare kaṃnyā rāśigate savitari karkkaṭarāśigate candramasi idamsa divasepitā śrī bhājudhanaju xxx mātā guṇalakṣmi// thvate nihma pramukham putra śri simnarasi// putra śri rātramānasim// putrī sihalakṣmī putrī ratna thakumThaoyā nāmana// suvarṇṇanirmita śrī sukhāvatī lokeśvara dayakāo pratisthā yānā juro// * // puna bhākhā: sajīva putra śrī vidhidhunaju// putra śrī dhiju... //putra śrī Lakṣmīnarasiṃ// putra śrī ... sim putra śrī rājanarasiṃ// pautra śrī sthāyo muni// dhacā muni// raja muni// hakhanarsim ...... thvate samohana ubhaya juyāo// thva suvarṇa pratimā dayakā juro// thvateyā puṇyana saptavṛddhi kalyāṇa juya māra// śubha//Text on the side:puna kha// babu māmayāta āśugrumati coyā tatyā: yapāko pujo 7 dhami vupi pha 2// dyadi vupi pha 1/ thuti vu babumāma parokṣa jusyam li thuti vuya sāhmānavaṣavadeva pūja yāyamāla// jula//śubha//Translation:'Greeting to Amitābha Buddha, who resides in the Sukhāvatī heaven. Sukhāvatī is indeed very beautiful. This is a dwelling place of Many great sages. The heaven is brightly illuminated by the glory of renowned inelegant [Buddha Amitābha] and it has wonderful golden park...May it be auspicious. On Thursday, the eleventh day of the dark half of the Bhādra month (August/September) of Nepal Saṃvat 952 (CE 1832) the golden image of Sukhāvatī Lokeśvara was created and consecrated. [Astrologically it was] on the day of Śivayoga, Karaṇa muhūrta. On this day the Sun was on Kanyā Rāśi and the Moon on Karkaṭa Rāśi.The image is made for our [deceased members of the family], father Bhāju Dhanaju ... mother Guṇa Lakṣmī and their sons Simnarasim and Rājamānasim and their daughters Siṃha Lakṣmī and Ratna Thakuṃ. ... Their children, who are still alive, are their sons Vidhidhunaju, Dhiju, ... Lakṣminarasiṃ, ...Sim, Rajanarasiṃ and their grandsons Sthāyo Muni, Dhaca Muni, Rāja Muni, and Hakha Narasiṃ. As a united group, they are fully responsible for the commission of this golden image. With this religious merit, may they have seven-fold prosperity and auspicious happy life!'On the side of the pedestal:'Following is the annual revenues and the names of land donated for the religious merit of father and mother: the cultivated land of Dhapako, which yields 7 pujao of rice, the cultivated land of Dhami, which yields 2 pha rice, the cultivated land of Dyadi, which yields 1 pha rice. With these revenues, the annual rite called vasavadeva [of the god] should be conducted. May it be auspicious.'Translation by G.V. Vajracharya, September 2018