A SILVER INLAID GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI


CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61961 6 7/8 in. (17.4 cm) high
|藏中 十五世紀 錯銀鎏金釋迦牟尼銅像 Richly gilded and finely cast in the round, Shakyamuni sits in bhumisparsha mudra on a vajra-throne (vajrasana). Shakyamuni wears a monk's patchwork robe heightened by inlaid silver beading. The back of the robe enfolds the subtle contours of his body, while the hemline is incised with a meandering floral motif. The vajra symbol partially sunk into the base before the Buddha is considered a reference to the time and location of his enlightenment at Bodhgaya, Northeastern India. Related Buddha images of the mid-15th-century include a thangka of Shakyamuni in the British Museum (Rhie & Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1996, p.77, no.3), and a 15th-century gilded bronze sold at Sotheby's, New York, 30 November 1994, lot 68. In discussion of the former, Rhie & Thurman note that the broad shoulders, pronounced chest, and patchwork robes are similar to those appearing in the 15th-century murals of Tabo monastery in Western Tibet, suggesting "a wide distribution of artistic styles at the time, particularly between central and western regions". The authors also remark that by the second half of the 15th century there appears to be a deliberate transition away from the imposing monumentality of 13th- and 14th-century styles, towards a "process of refinement and elaboration".The appearance of monks and buddhas dressed in patchwork robes in Tibetan art dates as far back as the Chidar, otherwise known as the second wave of Tibet's apprenticeship of Indian Buddhism between the 11th and 13th centuries. But in Tibet, more precious garments rapidly replaced the humble Indian patchwork robe. By the 15th century, the patchwork robe is transformed into the finest conceivable garment of the period, a transformation that perfectly exemplifies this 'refinement and elaboration' of the period. Compare with another Buddha with silver-inlaid patchwork robes sold by Christie's, Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 2804. The lotus petals are swollen and layered in a manner consistent with a style prevalent in 14th- and 15th-century Central Tibet. Compare a related figure of Shakyamuni in the Rietberg Museum (Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, p.72, no.30).