An inscribed gilt-bronze figure of Shariputra, Tibet, 17th / 18th century | 十七 / 十八世紀 藏傳鎏金銅舍利弗立像

Possibly from Collection of Wilhelm Kage (1889-1960), Gustavsberg.

Norden Auktioner Stockholm, 27-28 April 1993.

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或Wilhelm Kage（1889-1960年）收藏，古斯塔夫斯貝里

Norden Auktioner，斯德哥爾摩，1993年4月27-28日

This intricately cast gilt figure, complete with its elaborate flaming halo, depicts Shariputra, one of the Buddha’s earliest disciples who is frequently depicted alongside the Buddha in Tibetan paintings. A Qing gilt-bronze figure with closely related iconography and form in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 9537.

The inscription around the reverse, in Ranjana script, historically used in Tibet and Nepal to write Sanskrit, appears to read ‘Homage to the fully enlightened Buddha. (This is) the offering of Shrī Vajradhatu Deva Kunkuma Siṃha’.

此尊鎏金銅像鑄造精緻，配有華麗火焰背光，所塑為舍利弗尊者形像——佛陀最早的弟子之一，在藏傳佛教繪畫中經常與佛陀並列出現。北京故宮博物院藏一尊清代鎏金銅像，與本像極為接近，載錄於Himalayan Art Resources，編號9537。

像背環底座銘文以蘭札體書寫，此種文字傳統上用於西藏與尼泊爾書寫梵文。其大意可譯為：「禮敬圓滿正覺之佛，奉此像為勝金剛界天香王獅之供養。」