A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMOGHASIDDHI, ONE OF THE FIVE WISDOM BUDDHAS, POSSIBLY DENSATIL, TIBET, 14TH-15TH CENTURY

Expert’s note:
The present sculpture dates from the fourteenth or early fifteenth century and is modelled in Nepalese style with the diaphanous robe clinging to the muscular body. The alloy with its rather high copper content and distinct copper-red color, the extra thick casting and the well-defined lotus petals are common traits of sculpture typically associated with the famed monastery of Densatil. Furthermore, close comparison can be drawn with the present lot's squared face, convexly stepped eyebrows, double-lined eyelids and lips, and sinuous upper lid with those of several Densatil figures in public and private collections (see comparisons below).

The relatively simplistic form and lack of ornamentation is not common at Densatil, however, photographic evidence captured by Pietro Mele in 1948 shows closely related Buddha statues set against cast back panels in the fourth tier of the Tashi Gomang stupa. The base of the figure has been resealed with a simple metal plate, a fact that could indicate that it may once have been part of a larger supporting structure, such as Tashi Gomang stupa, from which it was forcibly removed. The many small traces of violence, see condition report below, could further support the theory that this figure may indeed have been one of the victims of the destruction of Densatil during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1978).

Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus pedestal atop a stepped plinth, his right hand raised in abhaya mudra above his left lowered in dhyana mudra, the tapering waist wrapped in a sheer monastic robe, gathering elegantly in remarkably well executed folds at his feet and over the left shoulder. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes below gently arched brows centered by a raised circular urna. His hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha topped by a jewel.


Provenance:
West Berkshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age, showing expected old wear and casting flaws, scattered dents, light rubbing to gilt, tiny nicks here and there. Minor losses, minimal cracks, the fingers of one hand bent back slightly, due to heavy impact. A distinct stress crack at the lower end in front of the figure. The base resealed with a metal plate.

Weight: 3,492 g
Dimensions: Height 26.2 cm


This fine sculpture depicts the Presiding Buddha Amoghasiddhi,
whose name means, "He Whose Accomplishments Are Not in Vain". Amoghasiddhi, identified by his hand gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra), exemplifies a Buddha's transcendence over jealousy. He is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Tathagatas) of the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism and as part of the five, this sculpture would have been joined by representation of the other four Tathagatas, exactly as seen in the fourth tier of the Tashi Gomang stupa in Densatil. His consort is Tara, meaning ‘liberator’, and he is often depicted mounted on Garuda. He belongs to the family of karma whose family symbol is the double vajra.


Densatil
was a Kagyu monastic complex in central Tibet, southeast of Lhasa, that has long been considered one of the great treasures of Tibet. Founded in the late 12th century, it enjoyed generous patronage and was lavishly decorated during a period of expansion from circa 1360 until the early 16th century. The monastery was known for eight extraordinary memorial stupas symbolizing Buddha's first teaching in Benares. These stupas were called tashi gomang, meaning "many doors of auspiciousness," and were multi-tiered copper-alloy structures filled with deities such as the present example, standing more than ten feet tall and resplendent with inlays of semiprecious stones. Prior to the destruction of Densatil, eight of them dating between 1208 and 1432 stood in the Monastery’s main hall.


Followers of the charismatic Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo
(1110-1170) constructed the Densatil Monastery. His school, which came to be known as Phagmo Drupa Kagyu, was one of the four primary schools of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Its noble house became so powerful that their dynasty ruled from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-fifteenth century. Eventually it had died out by the end of the seventeenth century, but the Densatil Monastery survived intact under the control of other Tibetan Buddhist schools until it was eventually destroyed. Today the monastery is undergoing reconstruction thanks to the efforts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region Ministry of Culture and the Drigung (Drikung) Kagyu school.


Literature comparison:

Compare the seated unadorned Buddhas made by Newar craftsmen seen in photographs of Densatil monastery taken by Pietro Mele in 1948, see O. Czaja and A. Proser, Golden Visions of Densatil, New York, 2014, pp. 18-19. Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Vajrasana, 34.1 cm high, dated to the 14th century, illustrated in Ulrich von Schroeder’s book Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. 2, Hong Kong, 2001 pp. 1062-1063, no. 271D, and
note that this figure has also been resealed with a metal plate
. Compare two Densatil figures of Amoghasiddhi and Akshobhya in the The Berti Aschmann Foundation Collection, see Uhlig, On a Path to Enlightenment, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 1995, pp. 74-75. Compare a related figure of Akshobhya Buddha from Densatil, 30.5 cm high, dated late 14th to early 15th century, in the National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.6.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 March 2014, lot 16
Price: USD 461,000 or approx.
EUR 543,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Tibet, probably Densatil, early 15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related extra thick casting, modeling with near-identical facial features and diaphanous robe, and size (26.7 cm). Note the different hand posture and more compressed lotus petals to the base.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 52
Price: HKD 1,1250,000 or approx.
EUR 144,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Amoghasiddhi, Tibet, 15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject with identical hand gestures and modeling with similar facial features and lotus base as well as the related manner of casting, gilding, and size (28.5 cm). Note the incised hems to the robe and the lack of slits to the earlobes.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 23 September 2020, lot 618
Price: USD 250,075 or approx.
EUR 267,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Tibet or Nepal, circa 14th century
Expert remark: Compare the related thick casting, solid gilding, and modeling with a similar diaphanous robe gathering in double folds to the base. Note the different pose, incised hems, sinuous eyebrows, and slightly larger size (31.5 cm).




西藏十四至十五世紀銅鎏金不空成就佛坐蓮像


此尊造像面相安詳端莊，上身斜披帛帶，結全跏趺坐於蓮花寶座之上，束腰仰覆式蓮花座，花瓣排列規整。右手結施無畏印，左手結禪定印。頭飾螺髮，肉髻高聳，頂嚴飾有寶珠，尊佛法相莊嚴神聖，面龐豐腴，眉彎細長，鼻樑高聳，眉心白毫凸顯，目光下斂，微含笑意，流露出恬淡寧靜與聰慧神態。身披通肩式袒胸袈裟，衣褶寬大。本件造像整體形制端莊，比例勻稱，動態舒展，手指線條柔和寫實，工藝精緻，細部處理一絲不苟。


來源：
英國西伯克郡當地古玩貿易，據説來自私人莊園。

品相：
狀況良好，與年代相稱，舊磨損和鑄造缺陷，分散的凹痕，鍍金的輕微摩擦，到處都有微小的刻痕。輕微損失，輕微裂紋，一隻手的手指因重擊而略微向後彎曲。銅像前下端有明顯的裂紋。底座用金屬板重新密封。

重量：3,492克
尺寸：高 26.2 厘米


不空成就佛
是五方佛中的北方佛，其佛名即指凡事都能成就之意。金剛界五智如來之第五，他能使一切眾生悉解除惑業煩腦，成就大願，從不落空，故稱不空成就如來。


此類型的重鑄鎏金銅合金造像
是丹薩蒂爾寺風格的特徵，它是位於中國西藏自治區山南地區桑日縣的一座藏傳佛教帕竹噶舉派寺院，是帕竹噶舉派的第一座寺院。丹薩蒂爾寺的各類佛教造像數量很多，十分珍貴。它始建於十二世紀末，獲得了慷慨的讚助，並在大約1360年至十六世紀初的擴建。該寺院以八座非凡的佛塔而聞名，這些佛塔象徵著佛陀在貝拿勒斯的第一次教導。這些佛塔被稱為紮西五芒，意思是“許多吉祥之門”，是多層銅合金結構，裡面裝滿了如此拍品一般的造像，高十多英尺，鑲嵌著寶石，金碧輝煌。在中國文化大革命（1966-1978年）期間，丹薩蒂爾寺被毀之前，有8座1208年至1432年的作品矗立在寺院的大殿裡。


文獻比較:

比較Pietro Mele 於 1948 年拍攝的丹薩蒂爾寺照片中可見紐瓦爾工匠製作的樸素佛像坐像，見O. Czaja and A. Proser，《Golden Visions of Densatil》，紐約，2014年，頁18-19. 比較一件相近的十四世紀金剛佛像，高34.1 厘米，見Ulrich von Schroeder，《Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet》，卷2，香港，2001年，頁1062-1063，編號271D，以及
請注意此重新密封過。
比較兩件丹薩蒂爾寺的不空成就佛和不動佛像，見Uhlig，《On a Path to Enlightenment，Museum Rietberg》，蘇黎世，1995年，頁74-75。比較一件相近的十四世紀晚期至十五世紀初期丹薩蒂爾寺不動佛，30.5 厘米 高，收藏於史密森國立藝術博物館，館藏編號S2012.6。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約邦翰斯，2014年3月17日，lot 16
價格：USD 461,000（相當今日
EUR 543,000
）
描述：十五世紀初期西藏或為丹薩蒂爾寺鎏金銅合金佛像
專家註釋：比較非常相近的超薄鑄造、模型，以及幾乎相同的面部表情、透明長袍，以及尺寸 (26.7 厘米)。請注意不同的手勢和蓮座。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港邦翰斯，2018年10月2日，lot 52
價格：HKD 1,1250,000（相當今日
EUR 144,000
）
描述：西藏十五世紀銅鎏金佛陀像
專家註釋：比較非常相近的主題 ，相同的手勢和模型、面部表情，以及相近 鑄造風格，鎏金和尺寸 (28.5 厘米)。請注意長袍的下擺有切口，耳垂沒有開岔。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約邦翰斯，23 2020年9月，lot 618
價格：USD 250,075
EUR 267,000
（相當今日）
描述：西藏或尼泊爾約十四世紀銅鎏金佛陀像
專家註釋：比較相近的超薄鑄造、鎏金、模型，相似的透明長袍，雙折褶皺至底部。請注意不同的姿勢、下擺下切，眉毛蜿蜒，以及尺寸較大 (31.5 厘米)。