Description
ANOTHER PROPERTY
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAITREYA
TIBET, 14TH/15TH CENTURY
Height 8 ½ in. (21.6 cm)
the Buddha of the future seated in dhyanasana atop a double lotus base with hands in abhaya mudra and varada mudra gently holding the stems of two lotus blossoms, the right flower supporting a kundika, the deity wearing a thin dhoti decorated with rosettes and incised borders, adorned in beaded jewelry, the top knot secured by a five-foliate crown and topped with a stupa
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 36297.
Condition Report
To request a condition report for this lot, please contact Sarah.Ritzmann@sothebys.com.
Provenance
O. Doutrebente, Paris, December 12, 2014, lot 158
Catalogue Note
The present sculpture beautifully captures the ornamental style seen in 14th/15th century Tibetan bronze sculpture. The layering of jewelry with inset gems, the way the cloth is drawn tightly over the legs, the movement of the flower tendrils and the fullness of the face show likeness to another 14th Century Buddhist goddess illustrated in U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol. II, Hong Kong, 2001, pl. 260D. The jewel projections emerging from the hoop earrings can also be seen on two other 14th Century bronzes, see ibid, pls. 255B and 259C, confirming the dating of this present bronze.
