AN EXQUISITELY CARVED BLACK STONE PALA RELIEF PANEL WITH A CROWNED BUDDHA 10TH / 11TH CENTURY

deeply carved, depicting a crowned Buddha at center clad in a finely draped sanghati, his now abraded palms held before him in dharmachakra mudra, seated on a lotus pedestal beneath a canopy bearing mangoes, flanked by a pair of standing Buddhas at his sides, kneeling celestials above and donor figures below, the scene set within a heavily ornamented scalloped pillared arch, its circumference decorated with a foliate scroll centering a makara, the upper register of the relief bearing three diminutive seated Buddhas set within similar arched niches, stand, Japanese wood box (3)

Japanese Collection, acquired before the 1960s.

Very good overall condition. Some wear on surface due to age. The Buddha's face and those of some of the divinities are worn. Breaks to the Buddha's forearms and palms and to some of the mangoes in the canopy above. Two holes have been drilled beneath the base of the panel on either side.
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.

The depiction of the Buddha as a crowned figure (mukutadharin) gained popularity during the Pala period. The form was meant to emphasize his role as a Chakravartin or Universal Sovereign. Medieval Buddhist texts liken the moment of Sakyamuni’s Enlightenment to the coronation of a king; cf. J. Casey, N. Ahuja, D. Weldon, Divine Presence: Arts of India and the Himalayas, Barcelona, 2003, p. 96.
The two standing Buddhas on either side of the central seated figure represent events related in the Buddhist canon. The figure displaying varada mudra on the left represents Sakyamuni’s descent from the Trayatrimsa heaven while the figure to the right displaying abhaya mudra most likely represents Sakyamuni’s taming of the elephant Nalagiri, cf. Susan and John Huntington, Leaves from the Bodhi Tree, Seattle & London, 1990, p. 140. The diminutive central Buddha on the upper register represents Maravijaya, the moment of Enlightenment and he is flanked by two Buddha figures holding bowls, signifying the monkey’s gift of honey to the Buddha.
Compare the iconographic composition with two steles in the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, see Susan and John Huntington, Leaves from the Bodhi Tree, Seattle & London, 1990, cats. 13 & 14 illus.