Scenes from the life of Buddha Shakyamuni Stone Eastern India, Pala Period

The vajrasana Buddha beneath the bodhi tree at Bodhgaya seated in vajraparyankasana on a lotus supported by nagaraja, hands in bhumishparsha mudra, and flanked by standing bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya, surrounded by scenes from the Buddha's life including his birth at Lumbini with queen Maya of Sakya, the first sermon at Sarnath, the miracle at Sravasti, the taming of the wild elephant at Nalagiri, and surmounted by the parinirvana at Kushingara, all supported by an elephant and lion dais showing the chakravartin and other scenes in relief around the lower edge.

Acquired 1980's

Generally in very good condition with little wear to the exceptionally fine carving. The head and snake-hood canopy and the left lower leg and foot missing from the nagaraja supporting the left side of the lotus throne. A small chip at the wrist of the right hand of the central Buddha, and loss and partial loss to the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. The heads missing from the two diminutive standing Buddhas in the upper right register. Chips to right and left hands of the bodhisattva to the Buddha's left, and to the left hand of the bodhisattva to the Buddha's right. The base of the stele hollowed out, and a niche varved out at the back of the Buddha. Accretion overall with the extremities having taken on an attractive polished patina through handling over centuries. A fitted burr wood stand made to measure the contours of the base of the stele (not illustrated). No restoration.
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.

Many such easily transportable miniature stele are found in Tibetan and Burmese monastery collections, brought back as souvenirs of early pilgrim journeys to India, the motherland of Buddhism, and possibly to Bodhgaya itself, the holy site of Buddha's enlightenment and the principal iconographic subject of the stele. The shrines could indeed be miniature versions of a monumental treasured stele at a pilgrimage site such as Bodhgaya; cf. a miniature stele of the subject now in the Asia Society Collection, see Sherman E. Lee, Asian Art from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, 1975, p. 24-5, cat. no. 13. The Rockefeller sculpture was thought at the time of publication to be Burmese; more recent scholarship has shown that these miniature stele are from Pala India.