A RARE MINIATURE GOLD FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA SOUTHEAST ASIA, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY

seated in vajraparyankasana, the right hand extended in bhumisparsha mudra and the left in samadhi mudra, depicted with a serene expression flanked by a pair of long pendulous earlobes, surmounted by tightly coiled curls and a conical domed ushnisha, all above a short vertical rod for securing the stand, wood stand

Good condition, with just minor surface wear. There is some residue and encrustation to the underside, where a pin connects the figure and stand.The colour is a more brilliant gold with less red than in the catalogue photo.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Gold is used throughout Southeast Asia for making small Buddhist sculptures, often in thin sheet metal for low-relief repoussé plaques or for light three-dimensional statues made in sections. More rarely, images are cast in precious metal, such as the present example. Similar miniature Buddhist shrine figures are encountered in Indonesia, in the islands of Java and Sumatra for example, see a ninth or tenth century central Javanese cast gold Vairocana seated on a bronze throne, illustrated by Jan Fontein, The Sculpture of Indonesia, Washington DC, 1990, p. 234, cat. no. 68. The throne setting for the present Buddha could be expected to be similar to that of the Vairocana, either done in bronze or more rarely in silver.

Stylistically the aesthetics of this sculpture of Buddha are based on Indian Pala period (c. 750-1200) models that informed much of Southeast Asian art in this period from Burma to Indonesia; compare the thin line of the robe edge across the chest, the cloth gathered in a fishtail form at the shoulder, and the squat proportions of eleventh or twelfth century eastern Indian bronze Buddhas, see Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 289, pls. 72B,G.