A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF CROWNED BUDDHA INLAID WITH SILVER TIBET, 14TH CENTURY |

the Buddha seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus throne, the curled tufts of hair with blue polychrome and high ushnisha, wearing a foliate crown with bronze and inlaid silver beading and further inset with semi-precious stones, the crown sash cascading behind the ears, the wide straight forehead with urna inlaid with semi-precious stone, the face and neck heightened with cold gold, the right hand touching the earth in bhumisparsha mudra, the left hand at the lap Himalayan Art Resources item no. 13473.

Yan Wing Arts Co., Hong Kong, 1991-1995. 

Good overall condition. With traces of cold gold and polychromy to face, neck and hair. Minor bending to crown, with losses to some original inlaid stone. With scattered loss and wear to gilding and scattered areas of surface abrasions throughout, as visible in the catalogue illustration. With scattered areas of denting at back, proper right thigh and lower base element. Base plate not intact.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This superb sculpture of a crowned Buddha Shakyamuni is a testament to the powerful legacy of the Newari aesthetic imported into Tibet from the Kathmandu Valley in the medieval period. Displaying tremendous power and presence, this figure demonstrates the marriage of classical Nepalese and Tibetan sculptural elements in its luxuriant gilding, elegant beading and engraving, the cold gilding of the face and use of polychromy, and delicate use of inlay of semi-precious stones. This powerful and iconic bronze depicting Buddha Shakyamuni in the earth-touching gesture or bhumisparsha mudra recalls the moment of his Enlightenment, in which he called upon the earth as his witness. The Nepalese influence is strongly demonstrated in the wide forehead with straight hairline, the gilt domed ushnisha, inlaid urna, the short neck, the broad and muscular shoulders with torso narrowing to a defined waist.

Compare the elegant hem, drape and twist of the Buddha’s sanghati along the upper arm and body with left shoulder exposed, with fourteenth century bronzes from the Nepalese school in Tibet, see. Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, p. 962—3, figs. 231A and 231C.