A magnificent and extremely rare large imperial gilt-bronze figure of Atisha, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period | 清康熙 鎏金銅阿底峽尊者坐像

A European noble family collection.

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The great Indian scholar Atisha (982-1054) had royal lineage, but was known for his mastery of Buddhist practice after years of study at Vikramashila, the celebrated monastery and university in present day Bihar. Atisha, often referred to as Jowo (noble lord) by Tibetans, was invited to teach in Tibet by King Yeshe Ö (959-1040). Here, the Indian master inspired the formation of the Kadam order of Tibetan Buddhism. His principal Tibetan disciple Dromtön (ca. 1005-1064) founded Reting monastery in 1056 as the seat of the new order. It was Atisha’s strict adherence to the Buddhist canon that was a source of inspiration for the great Tibetan leader and reformer Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) in the inception of the New Kadam, or Geluk order of Tibetan Buddhism, which would be avidly espoused by the Qing Court.

This important Kangxi period (1662-1722) gilt bronze portrays the Indian master wearing monastic garments with hems decorated in a finely incised floral pattern, and a close-fitting pandita’s cap with lappets falling to the shoulder. In common with the majority of images depicting the master, hands are held before the heart in dharmachakra mudra symbolising the turning of the Wheel of Buddhist Law set in motion by Shakyamuni Buddha during his first sermon in the Deer Park. Two posts at either side of the pedestal would have secured separately cast attributes of a stupa and basket of texts. The distinctive triple flourish on the tips of the base’s lotus petals is emblematic of Kangxi period works, as is the style of the engraved robe decoration: compare the incised work and the lotus petal style of a gilt bronze Bhaishajyaguru Buddha dated to the 21st year of Kangxi (1682), see Han Yong, ed., Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series: Buddhist Statues I, Beijing, 2001, pp. 212-14, cat. no. 180.

No other Imperial Qing gilt-bronze figure of Atisha of this stature appears to be recorded in any museum or private collection. Indeed, representations of Atisha in metalwork in Tibet itself is rare. Only a small number has been published, including a large Tibetan gilt figure of Atisha from the collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, catalogued as 16th century, illustrated by Rhie and Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 169, and sold at Christie’s New York, 16th September 2009, lot 804. See also another Tibetan gilt figure of Atisha in the Newark Museum of Art, catalogued as 17th century and illustrated on himalayan art resources, no. 76036.

Kangxi Imperial gilt-bronze figures of Amitayus of this size, sharing closely related treatment of the lotus base, folded drapery, and similar precise articulation of the facial features, are relatively common. They were commissioned by the Kangxi emperor as a gift, possibly for his grandmother or for the Tibetan hierarchy to be installed in one of the many Tibetan Buddhist temples in the capital. They belong to a select group of Buddhist figures made in the Imperial foundry, amongst which one, cast on the orders of the Kangxi emperor for his grandmother's birthday in 1686, is illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pls. 1-2. See two examples illustrated in Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 152, pls. 152A and 152B.

Compare two further examples from this group included in Zhongguo zangchuan fojiao diaosu quanji, vol. 2, Beijing, 2002, pls. 208 and 209, and several sold at auction, including three sold in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1804, 9th October 2007, lot 1547 and 4th October 2011, lot 1983; one in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2010, lot 161; and two in our London rooms, 10th November 2010, lot 233, and 5th November 2014, lot 18.

In contrast to the relatively large production of figures of Amitayus at the Imperial workshops during the Kangxi period, this magnificent representation of Atisha was clearly a unique and important commission, no doubt created for Guangren or one of the other Gelukpa temples at the heart of the Imperial court.

印度賢聖阿底峽（982-1054年）為王族後裔，曾於超戒寺修習佛法；超戒寺乃古印度佛學院，位於如今比哈爾邦。阿底峽受藏王智光（959-1040年）之邀入藏弘法，被藏人奉為尊者，乃噶當派始祖。1056年，其大弟子仲敦巴（約1005-1064年）創建熱振寺，作噶當派根本道場。阿底峽嚴守律儀，啟發西藏改革領袖宗喀巴（1357-1419年）開闢新噶當派，即格魯派，此派備受清廷擁護。

此尊鎏金銅阿底峽尊者坐像鑄於康熙朝，尊者身穿法袍，褶邊精刻花卉紋飾，頭戴通人冠，帽簷垂肩。阿底峽像多作雙手於心口結說法印，象徵佛祖釋迦牟尼於鹿野苑首授佛法時初轉法輪。原有佛塔、寶瓶接於台座兩側，現已佚失。底座蓮瓣上各作三葉卷草紋，與褶邊刻花同屬康熙造像之典型；比一尊康熙二十一年（1682年）造鎏金銅藥師佛，刻花及蓮瓣風格皆與此尊相似，見韓永編，《北京文物精粹大系・佛造像卷（上）》，北京，2001年，頁212-14，編號180。

遍尋博物館及私人收藏，未見與此尊等高之清宮御製鎏金銅阿底峽造像。縱於西藏本土，阿底峽金屬造像亦屬罕有，僅見寥寥數例出版，如一尊，西藏鎏金銅阿底峽像，安思遠舊藏，錄為十六世紀，見Rhie及Thurman，《Wisdom and Compassion》，台北，1998年，編號169，後售於紐約佳士得2009年9月16日，編號804；及一尊，西藏鎏金銅阿底峽像，紐瓦克藝術博物館蓄，錄為十七世紀，喜馬拉雅藝術資源網有載，編號76037。

同尺寸康熙御製鎏金銅無量壽佛造像較為常見，蓮台、衣褶、開臉皆與此尊阿底峽像相近。該類無量壽佛乃奉康熙旨意鑄造，用作供禮，或獻孝莊太皇太后，或賜西藏領袖供於京中藏傳佛寺。整批造像均由宮廷鑄製，其中一尊1686年造，康熙獻予孝莊，賀太皇太后壽誕，錄《清宮藏傳佛教文物》，香港，1992年，圖版1-2。另比二例，錄烏爾裡希．馮．施羅德，《Indo-Tibetan Bronzes》，香港，1981年，頁152，圖版152A、152B。

再比二例，同屬此批，載《中國藏傳佛教雕塑全集》，卷2，北京，2002年，圖版208、209，仍有數例，售於拍賣，其中三尊售於香港蘇富比，分別為2006年4月10日，編號1804，2007年10月9日，編號1547及2011年10月4日編號1983；一尊售於巴黎蘇富比2010年6月9日，編號161；倫敦蘇富比亦售兩尊，2010年11月10日，編號233，2014年11月5日，編號18。

康熙御製無量壽佛不在少數，然此尊阿底峽寶像則是孤品，且鑄造契機非凡，當為廣仁寺或其他格魯派皇家寺院供奉。