A GILT COPPER BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNITibet, 15th-16th century or earlier. The historical Buddha seated in Dhyanasana atop a double lotus pedestal. The right hand held in Bhumisparsha mudra and the left, resting in his lap, holding a bowl of alms.Provenance: From a British estate. Kept in the same family since 1911. Accompanied by a letter which dates to 1911. In this letter, the author writes that the present Buddha ‘is about 810 years old’ and was found at ‘the monastery of Jantzi’. Furthermore, the base bears an old note stating that ‘There is a wooden base to this God hidden in the hall desks, or amidst my underwear in my bedroom’ (needless to say, the wooden base was never found).Condition: Extensive wear, some minor dents here and there, the base slightly warped, the mandorla lost. The sealing plate is loose and the inner of the statue is empty. The gilding is still pretty well intact.Weight: 926.1 grams.Dimensions: Height 18.5 cm.While the figure itself is cast of a copper alloy, the lotus base is made of copper repoussé. The sculpture depicts the historical Buddha Shakyamuni reaching forward with his right hand calling the earth to witness his triumph over the assaults and temptations of the demon Mara. The Buddha is modelled in the classic early Tibetan style drawing on eastern Indian artistic traditions assimilated through close contact between lamas and pilgrims of Tibet’s central regions and the monasteries of Bengal and Bihar in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.銅鎏金釋迦牟尼像西藏，十五至十六世紀或更早。過去佛結跏趺坐于二层莲台之上，左手持缽，右手結觸地印。來源：英國遺產。自1911年一直收藏在同一家族中。隨附一封落款為1911年的信，在這封信裏，寫信人寫道：這座佛像是"is about 810 years old"，在‘the monastery of Jantzi’被發現。另外，底座上可見"There is a wooden base to this God hidden in the hall desks, or amidst my underwear in my bedroom"。品相：明顯磨損，一些輕微凹陷，底座彎曲，光背丟失。封印丟失，内裏無物。鎏金仍然美麗牢固。重量：926.1 克尺寸：高 18.5 厘米